Press Release Assignment
Introduction to Public Relations
Professor: Keith Forrest
Due: Wednesday, November 7
As you heard from both Joe Cardona of
As a group, you have chosen a client. Your PR firm will prepare a plan and presentation to persuade that client to hire your firm.
As part of that effort, you will be preparing a press release for your client.
For this current assignment, each person in your group must
write a different press release about your client. You need to check with your fellow group
members to make sure you all have different topics for your press release that
is due November 7. This should not be a
problem. Most clients have numerous
events, products, ideas, etc. that could be the subject of a press
release. You will be graded individually
for the press release and must complete your own work.
However, you may later use a revised version of one of the press releases as part of your group project.
Your press release must be written to appeal to the editor of the newspaper as well as the general public who will ultimately read the story. A press release communicates a news story at the same time it promotes your organization.
A press or news release is a news story intended to demonstrate to an editor or reporter the newsworthiness of an event, service, product or situation you want publicized. Writing a press release entails generating a persuasive communication to be delivered in a traditional news story format. The author must resist making sensational statements such as "our drug will cure anything that ails you", etc. Editors discard press releases that contain outlandish promotional remarks.
Don’t be fooled. Even though this assignment is only one-page long, it’s not easy. To write an effective one-page press release takes many revisions. You should not hand in a draft, but a carefully thought out press release that is carefully edited and proofread. In other words, you need to hand in a finished product.
Whether you are a communication major or not, writing a press release is a valuable skill you can use to promote organizations, companies, causes, etc. in the future. It’s something that can be part of a portfolio or enhance a job application. So take is seriously and give it some real effort.
Press Release Format
A press release will have contact information and an indication of publication priority followed typically by four elements
- The headline
- The summary lead
- The body
- The closing paragraph
Press releases are generally written in the third person. In other words, don’t use the words “I” or “we.” Your press release must be a page or less using 12-point Times Roman font. You must single space within paragraphs and double space between paragraphs, using block format (no indenting). See the sample press release on page 3.
The Headline
The headline should summarize, in a dynamic way, the information contained in the press release. In general, you want your headline to be ten words or less. It needs to communicate your message like the wording on a billboard communicates a message to the drivers of cars speeding down the freeway. Your headline needs to make your press release standout among the many similar pieces that cross an editor's desk each day. It is often desirable to include a subhead. The subhead allows you to further elaborate on the angle of your story.
The Summary Lead
The summary lead is actually the first paragraph of the body of your document. It and the headline are the most critical parts of the press release. This paragraph must include the 5 W’s of the story—who, what, when, where and why. It must also contain the H of the story—how. The summary lead summarizes the press release and is intended to hook the editor as well as your future intended audience into wanting to know more about your subject. The hook should not be a sensational statement but an interesting factual statement.
The Body
The body of a press release is written using a journalistic strategy called an inverted pyramid. The most important information and quotes are incorporated into the story first. The reason this is important is that sometimes editors need to cut the story to fit into available space. You don't want critical information to be lost if the story is abbreviated.
The Closing Paragraph
The closing paragraph will often have a sentence or two which promotes your company or organization. This may be a boilerplate (old newspaper terminology referring to a block of standard text that is used over and over again) developed for such purposes.
Three #'s denote the end of a press release. It is usually a good idea to follow the ### with a statement that says something like, "If you would like more information or to schedule an interview with ***** followed by the appropriate contact information.
