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Episode 6: How to write a press release

A press release is an announcement written in a newspaper article to inform the world when there is news. Numerous companies, governments, and organizations spread the news to the world by distributing their press releases to journalists and the public. Today, press releases are the most important means of publicity.

Composition of the press release

• Title: Summarize the content in one sentence. You can also put subtitles.
• Date: News is important for timeliness, so you should specify a release date.
• Main body: The main body of the news is written as a newspaper article in accordance with the six-fold principle.
• Company Profile: Briefly summarizes history, major business, brand, size, etc.
• Contact Us: Enter your contact information and website for reporters to contact you.

Tips for writing a good press release

1. News should feel worthwhile

Press releases should be written to give readers a sense of news about new news or events. For example, a new product launch press release persuasively explains when this product will be launched, what sets it apart from other products, and how it benefits consumers.

2. Write objectively and honestly

In the news, honesty and trust are life. It is written objectively from the perspective of a third-person observer. To give your readers confidence, it’s good to present figures and statistics. Exaggeration is not allowed, and adjectives are not recommended. The rhetoric is repulsive to journalists.

3. As I said, it is easy to write

As you would say to your nephew in middle school, it is recommended to write in colloquial language easily and avoid Chinese characters as much as possible. From the reader’s point of view, you need to think about what you are curious about, and all questions should be answered as the reader reads the article. Unless the news is for experts, jargon should be avoided.

4. Write short and concise

Keep it short and concise so the reader can get to the point as quickly as possible. Be straight-forward and remove any duplicates or unnecessary words. It is desirable that the number of characters in a sentence be less than 60 characters. The title should be less than 20 characters long to make it stand out.

5. The key message should be clear

When a press release is published in a newspaper, when you think about what titles will be picked and which parts the media will cite, that is the key message. It is recommended that the first half of the article be written consistently around the core topic, and side stories should be added at the end.

6. Compress information in the first sentence

The first sentence of the news is often called a lead. Reporters often say, “Even if you just take a lead, half of an article is written.” The first sentence should be written with the idea that the whole event is summarized in one sentence. When a lead is taken, the title will automatically come to mind.

7. Put important things first

Explanatory statements such as press releases should be written in an inverted pyramid format. The arrangement of important information at the beginning of the text and less important information at the end of the paragraph is called an inverted pyramid. If the press release is long, it is important to keep in mind that readers don’t just look at the front, and journalists cut off the back.

8. Describe with the naked eye

Interesting writing is moving or comes to life as if you were seeing it with your own eyes. Novelists and journalists work hard and practice to develop visual depiction skills. When writing, it is better to have the idea of ​​depicting scenes, people, and situations as if drawing a miniature rather than abstract expressions.

9. Have to put a comment

The credibility of the news is increased by adding comments from relevant people, such as the president and executives. With comments, reporters can write articles as if they had covered the story themselves. Comments are written so that you can feel the professional insight of the speaker. It is recommended to write subjective assertions rather than objective facts in the form of comments.

10. Enter keywords

Consumers and the public are more likely to access press releases through keyword searches on portals and search engines. Therefore, after writing the press release, please check whether related keywords have been omitted.

11. Company overview and contact information are required

Be sure to include a company profile and contact information at the end of the press release body. The company outline should summarize the year of establishment, vision, business field, major products and brands, number of employees, and sales volume. Contact information such as name, affiliation, e-mail, and phone number is attached so that reporters can cover what they are curious about. The company’s website also helps reporters cover their stories.

12. Prepare your photos and videos

Adding a photo or video to your press release will make your news even more attractive. It is recommended that photos be taken by a professional, if possible, and that the product is taken in a well-lit studio. It is good to distribute statistics in graphs or charts so that readers can visually feel them.

News writing order

An easy way to write an essay is to set a key message before writing, make a blueprint, and write it paragraph by paragraph. Blueprints help you write persuasive and coherent writing. Rather than trying to write well from the beginning, it is necessary to get in the habit of writing a draft quickly and then revising it several times.

1. Reader Settings

Determine the main readership. Depending on the reader, the difficulty of the terms, the length of the text, and the emphasis may change. Consider your readers’ comprehension skills, interests, and expectations, and think about what they might be most curious about. If the topic is difficult for the reader to understand, a glossary of terms or background knowledge is required. If it is an article that informs an expert, it is recommended that it be long, as it should contain detailed information.

2. Outline

Composing an outline makes writing long texts easier. An outline is a blueprint of an article divided into paragraphs. First, create an outline list by enumerating the key points of each paragraph as keywords. After making the outline list, make sure that the important ones are on top and the less important ones are below, and if necessary change the order. The outline gives you an idea of ​​how to connect the elements of your text. Therefore, it has the effect of improving the texture of the text.

3. Put a title

Writing a title is the beginning and end of writing. Choose a title that will grab the reader’s attention. It’s a good idea to keep your title short, no more than 20 characters, so you can see what’s happening at a glance. If the title alone is difficult to convey, write a subtitle.

4. Intro

The introduction (lead) is usually written as one sentence. Condensed and explained what happened in one sentence. Readers look at the title and first sentence and decide whether to continue reading or not. Therefore, leads should also be able to foretell what is to come. To grab the reader’s attention, you need an introduction that makes a strong impression.

5. Detailed Paragraph

Look at the outline list and write each paragraph in order. Each paragraph is written with the idea that it conveys one message. A paragraph can be one sentence, but if you need detailed explanations, break it into two or three sentences. Think about how much detail you need to put in each paragraph to satisfy the reader’s curiosity.

6. Read Aloud

When I write and when I hear what I write aloud with my ears, the feeling is quite different. As you read, you can easily find parts of the sentence that are not smooth or that don’t convey the meaning. If you can afford it, read it again the next day. This will give you a little more distance from the text, allowing you to see the text from a new perspective. It is even more helpful if you ask someone else to supervise it.

7. Final Calibration

When the text is completed to some extent, it is printed and corrected. After marking the error with a pen, correct it. Try changing the word, expression, and arrangement order, and at the end correct the title and introduction. Remove unnecessary content and duplicates. Short texts are more powerful than widespread texts, and they fit right into my head. The writing program runs a spell checker to finally check for typos.