General Guidelines

For

News Release Preparation

What Makes up A News Release?

• Release and Contact Information
• Headline
• Body Copy
• Dateline, if print release
• Lead Sentence
• Quotes & Development
• Summary or Closing

Typical Format of a News Release?*

*There is sometimes variation in where the information is placed on the company letterhead, but the following elements are commonly accepted elements that should appear. For class, do the following, but keep in mind when you go to work for a company, they may have slight variations and you will be asked to follow the Company’s style.

• Use 8 1/2 “ by 11” paper and double space the body of your release
• Right and left hand margins are generally set at 1 ½”
• If the name, address and telephone number are NOT on the letterhead, make sure the name, address and phone numbers are in the upper-left corner on the first page of the release.
• The release date most often appears on the right margin, slightly lower than the bottom of the address block. However, if you use letterhead, it is often flush left opposite the contact information on the right.
• If the release is longer than one page, the pages which follow should contain a word or two describing the release in the upper-left corner and the page should be identified as “add one,” or “add two” indicating whether one page is added beyond the first page or two pages, etc. However, keep in mind to strive for one-page releases or generally no more than two at the most to encourage the use of your releases.
• The date when the release may be used is typed on the left side of the first pages above the headline.
• In the upper right hand corner of the first page list the contact name and the business and home phone numbers. You may also want to list an evening phone number to make sure people can get in touch with you if they need to get additional information. Also, sometimes people include a fax number in their releases and/or an e-mail address.
• Use only one side of the page.
• Capitalize the headline. Although some persons suggest the headline is optional, I feel it is necessary. An editor on the average spends less than 30 seconds glancing at a news release. Make sure it draws the editor’s and the readers interest and that it is descriptive, and creative. I have seen people also underline the headline and place it flush left on the page. For this class, don’t underline it. Boldface it and center it about a third of the way down the page.
• Paragraphs are indented five spaces.
• If you use more than one page for the release, center the word “-More-“ at the bottom of the first page. At the bottom of the final page center the number –30- or three pound signs (# # #).

USES

· From a company perspective, it’s a way to release information to help promote the company’s image through media outlets. Examples follow.

· A newspaper may use your release as “filler.” A general use magazine may use your release as a story “starter” with a writer assigned to “flesh” it out. Trade publications use them to enhance stories and place them sometimes to support credibility by associating the story to and expert in the particular field. For example if your company was noted for development of a particular product, your release would provide credibility to something the publication may want to develop by allowing them to information from your release in the context of a broader article covering a related topic.

AUDIENCES

• Media who may have an interest in information you want to share
• Publics who want to be informed about what you are doing
• Potential clients who may have a vested interest in what your company produces.
• Persons you may want to reach either to enhance their image of your company or possibly even to persuade to moderate or modify their views about your company.

Example Layout shown on next page

Example Layout

Organization Name (Letterhead)

(heading info can be single spaced)

For Immediate Release Contact: Name, Title

Date of Release Phone, etc.

NEWS RELEASE

HEADLINE

(Usually headline starts about 1/3 of way down page)

(double-space body copy)

DATELINE-(location (capital letters) plus a dash, followed by first line of lead.

Lead: Hard news lead most frequent. Emphasis most important news value.

Body: Be brief. Write clearly. Use quotes for attribution. Try to keep it to one page.

Ending: Summarize story, or suggest where additional information is available, etc.

-30- or # # # if it is the end. If the release goes to two pages, use “-More-“ and make sure you put a one-word or two-word description on next page with add one, add two, etc.