In my current post at Roger Williams University (Bristol, RI, USA), I teach, inter alia, Public Relations Techniques. This includes such things as writing news releases, business letters, crisis communication plans and media pitches. Whereas the ability to use language effectively is crucial to public relations success, the practitioner must have a keen understanding of media relations; i.e, what makes news; how to organise and structure a media release and, importantly how to get it published.
Recently I came across some sobering yet alarming facts about the latter. Editors revealed in an interview that 80-90% of the releases they get they throw away! Before I get into the reasons for this and how you can guard against your release making it into File 13, let us talk about what a media release is, and why they are the most important in the PR writer's arsenal.
WHAT IS A MEDIA RELEASE?
A media release is essentially information, usually in written form about an organisation, product or event, or issue that is given to journalists in the hope (stress, hope!) that they will publish it. Media releases are designed to pursue an organisation's objective. The fact is people make decisions about anything once their awareness has been raised. Media releases are written like news stories. Indeed they are the basis of some 80% of the news we read in the newspapers, listen to on radio or watch on television. They may be quoted word for word; saves time for you and the reporters; help reporters get the facts straight and significantly help to inform a number of news people at the same time.
WHY YOUR MEDIA RELEASE MAY NOT BE RUN
The reasons news editors say they dump media releases are pretty basic; they are not usable! I will look at each below:
1. THEY ARE NOT NEWS!:
In order to be considered news, a story must include two or more of the following criteria : timeliness, proximity, significance/relevance, conflict, prominence and human interest. Each news story ought to satisfy one or more of these news values in order to be considered news worthy by journalists.
2. THE STORY IS INCOMPLETE OR FULL OF HOLES
Practitioners must be aware that they are writing news and must offer reporters the news as comprehensively as possible. If for example you are writing about a layoff, substantive reasons must be given. Here quotations and evidence are useful. Anything less than this will be considered too hollow to make the news feed.
3. THEY ARE INACCURATE
It is important to check the accuracy of the information you are writing in your media release. Verify facts, recheck sources and make sure you get quotations correct. It is not only professional to check the credibility of the information you provide but it is ethically sound to do so.
4. THEY ARE NOT TIMELY
Any successful PR practitioner must understand the basic principles of media relations. This means knowing news deadlines and operating with these deadlines in mind. It also means knowing writing news stories that are current, or knowing which stories are not time bound and submit these to the appropriate publications.
5. THERE ARE NO CONTACT INFORMATION
This may seem unimportant but every media release must contain contact information so journalists can get follow up information. Often journalists contact PR contact people for clarifications, to get sound bytes or full interviews based on the information provided. If no contact information is provided, journalists tend to move on to the next release on their desk! Yours? Filed away - 13 definitely!
6. THEY ARE FULL OF HYPERBOLE
The advice here is not to exaggerate. Talk about your product, client or organisation in clear terms. Do not embellish it or oversell. Do not use flowery language; simple concise succint, factual information is required.
7. THEY ARE TOO LONG
A media release is meant to be at least one page long. If it does onto the second page, do not allow your media release to pass the half point. If you have more than this, it is advised that you write two releases using different, unique angles. In addition, some of that information could easily be used as a backgrounder. This is an additional information put in press kits, in the event that time and space does not allow for in the media release.
8. THEY DO NOT FIT INTO THE NEWS FEED
Some times, the news day is very busy and there is no space or time to fit your media release into the news feed. Other times, stories from PR practitioners are simply so 'soft' that they cannot make it into the news fed because other/more news worthy stories are given priority.
9. PRACTITIONERS CALL JOURNALISTS TO PRESSURE THEM TO RUN STORIES.
Public relations practitioners, for success, must develop professional relationships with working journalists. The PR person would be wise to follow the beats of the reporters whose work aligns with their PR duties. Contacting them every now and then to offer story ideas is a professional thing to do. To call them however to pressure them to run your story can be seen as unprofessional. My personal experience is that one call is appropriate to ensure the information is received and that the pitch is accepted. Anything beyind that may be seen at best, as unprofessional or at worst, rude.Guard against these mistakes and you may be surprised to see an improvement in the number of your media releases making the evening news!
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Dr Hume Johnson is an Assistant Professor of Public Relations at Roger Williams University, Bristol, RI, United States. She has over 15 years of experience in public relations within government, entertainment and business. Learn more about Hume at http://www.humejohnson.com
