Writing a Press Release: The Media's Dirty SecretWritten by Ned Steele
There's a dirty little secret about press releases that media doesn't want you to know. The fact is, most of them travel directly from sender’s computer to reporter’s trash box. Or from out of envelope into "round file." That's part of reason reporters don't like to be asked "did you see my press release." They probably did, but they threw it in trash so they don't remember yours specificially. But you do still need press releases sometimes. (Like, when you have news.) So when you do, remember this. You may already know that every press release has a headline – a short title – and a lead, or first paragraph. What you may not know is that virtually nothing else in your release matters!
| | Writing a Press Release: Inverted Pyramid StyleWritten by Ned Steele
A term you'll hear in newsrooms, in editing meetings, in Journalism 101, but almost nowhere else, is "inverted pyramid."The "inverted pyramid" style is goal of every newspaper reporter, and, if you want free publicity, it should be goal of your press release as well. What is an inverted pyramid? It is structure of press release. It simply means that you should put most important or enticing information in first few sentences of your press release, and then unfold rest in descending order of importance. For example, if you are announcing a new financial planning product or service, put that up front: "A new financial planning service will help local families increase their retirement savings."
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