Considerations when writing press releases:
The title of the message is just as important as the message itself. If it does not catch the eye of the person it targets - the reporters in our case - it will not be read. Therefore, the title should state exactly what we want to say, without being boring or unmeaning, and without being too long to be read in just one glance.
The most important information come first and all other information follow in order of importance. To achieve this it is necessary to be aware of the single bits of information and their value for the release. It must answer some standardized questions, ideally in the first paragraph:
- What is it about?
- Who participates / is involved?
- When did or will it happen?
- How did or does it happen?
- Why is it happening?
- Where is it happening?
Press releases should be as short as possible but as long as required - make sure all relevant information is in there, but don't overdo it. In most cases, it will be better to add a link and refer to a contact for further information, instead of trying to put all possibly related information into it. Focus on what the reporter needs to know in order to write an article about the topic! Keep the sentences short, to make sure the release is easy to read and understand. It should be possible to shorten the text from the end, sentence by sentence, without losing sense.
The information in the press release should not be mixed with any attempts of humor, outrage or even judgement. Facts should always be stated as facts, as neutral as possible, and if required supported by a source. Of course the release should also contain an opinion: This should be provided in the quotes and based on the facts stated before.
Sample:
The structure of a press release should generally be the following:
PRESS RELEASE - PIRATE PARTIES INTERNATIONAL
Main Title Pirate Parties international launch new press team
(Sub Title) (New team will take care of all requests and press releases in the future)
Text 1 The international organization of the Pirate Parties has today launched a new press team. The group that consists of volunteers will answer requests and write press releases to support the board and provide services to the media. It was founded by Denis Simonet, who was elected to the board with his plan to improve the media relationships of the PPI.
Quote 1 Denis Simonet, founder of the press team and member of the PPI board said: "As the responsibilities of the board and the media interest grows, it was necessary to find ways to relieve the Co-Chairmen."
Text 2 The press work of the PPI has so far been dealt with by the board members themselves. The new group will start working from July 1st. Requests can be sent to press@pp-international.net. It is also planned to open a telephone hotline in the future, when the team is well established.
Quote 2 Gefion Thuermer, team leader of the new group added: "We are an international organization, and it is about time that we take advantage of it. We aim to be able to service the international media in realtime and multilingual in the future."
General information The Pirate Parties international is the international umbrella organization of the Pirate Parties movement. It was founded in Brussels in 2010 and unites 28 parties around the globe. For further information please consult http://www.pp-international.net or contact us
Contact
Pirate Parties International
Gregory Engels
Co-Chairman
Tel. +49 172 8534491
E-Mail: press@pp-international.net
