Tips on Writing a News Release 1. What’s the story? Newspaper editors want to know what’s going on in their communities. What is the DBTAC in your region doing to deserve attention now? It’s not enough to say “Hi! We’re here!” at regular intervals throughout the year. What’s significant about your work and the partnerships you have formed to date? Briefly tie in related community issues as appropriate. Develop local angles for stories. Don’t just compile a list of newspaper names and addresses—study them to understand local concerns. 2. Remember the Five W’s and the H Editors are inundated daily with news releases. Catch their attention right away. They almost always edit news releases or use them as springboards for stories. Editors cut material from the bottom up, so make your copy stand out. Once you have decided on the message, you will get an editor’s attention quickly if you include the following information in the first paragraph. Answer these questions: * Who is the story about? * What is happening? * When will the event take place? * Where is it? * Why am I reading about this now? * How do I get more information? 3. Focus Pick the one most important issue to talk about in each release. For example, ADA training courses in your area would cover one release. The ADA Anniversary is a separate activity, and requires another release. If a DBTAC is a partner in a countywide job fair, write another release to announce that activity. 4. Style and Voice To make the best impression, the release should be typed double-spaced on letterhead, giving the editor space to make comments. Indent paragraphs. Have one-inch margins all around, and make sure it is free of errors, smudges, or smears. Write in the active voice, using vivid verbs. Spell out the name of an organization the first time you use it, and enclose its acronym in parentheses. Use the acronym on second reference. Don’t overuse descriptive phrases, such as “wonderful,” “fabulous,” “greatest,” and so on. Make sure everything is true and factual. Include meaningful quotes from DBTAC representatives, business leaders, local politicians, and other individuals as necessary, and include the DBTAC toll-free number—1-800-949-4232 (V/TTY). Many people, when they see or hear the word “disability,” automatically think of charity or health concerns. Make sure you are sending the desired message—that the ADA is a business, economic, and civil rights issue, and that the DBTACs are a resource for everyone. 5. Format Here are some basic guidelines: * Center “News Release” at the top of the page, just below the logo, and put it in bold type. The contact information should appear at the top, with FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE or RELEASE BY and the current date on the left, and the contact name, phone number, FAX number, and e-mail address on the right. Insert two blank lines before beginning the headline. * Prepare an action headline. Center it and put it in bold type. Insert two more blank lines. Before beginning the body of the release, make the text flush left and indent paragraphs. * Put the dateline first—city and state, with appropriate abbreviations. The Associated Press Stylebook is the standard manual for newspaper reporters, copy editors, and section editors. It is helpful to adopt their style, and it costs less than $20 at professional bookstores and well-stocked independent and chain bookstores. * After the dateline, include the lead paragraph, and then develop the release in a logical sequence. Put the most important facts first, and gradually put information of lesser importance in succeeding paragraphs, in case it is cut. Before the end of the first page, center the word -MORE-. Continue with the second page, if necessary, and include a page number. A news release should be no longer than two pages. * You may want to say whether photos or interviews are available. Put this information in all caps, and use phrases like PHOTOGRAPHS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST or INTERVIEWS WITH [NAME OF PERSON] ARE BEING SCHEDULED NOW. * At the end of the release, type -30- or ###, and center it. (This material was summarized from Kay Borden’s Bulletproof News Releases: Practical, No-holds-barred Advice for Small Business from 135 American Newspaper Editors published in 1994 by Franklin-Sarrett Publishers.) Additional Information about Press Releases: How to Write a Great Press Release: A Sample Press Release Template www.publicityinsider.com/release.asp How to Write a Press Release www.lunareclipse.net/pressrelease.htm Writing a Release www2.marketwire.com/mw/services_pr_write DBTAC: Southeast ADA Center 1419 Mayson Street, Atlanta, GA 30324 (404) 541-9001 (v/tty) (800) 949-4232 (v/tty) (404) 541-9002 (Fax) sedbtacproject@law.syr.edu www.sedbtac.org Funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research of the U.S. Department of Education #H133A060094 This document was originally prepared by CESSI for the DBTAC: National Network of ADA Centers