Page updated:
Wednesday, 12 September 2007

SPECIAL REPORT...

Getting your message across

GETTING COVERAGE - the press release

Press releases - the provision of information to media outlets in a structured, written format - are also known as 'media releases' and 'media alerts'. Press releases can be mailed or faxed to media organisations or placed on a website in a 'media' or 'press release' area.

Major media organisations receive many press releases every day and competition for publication is tough. The better written the release, the greater the chance it will be followed up. The aim is to attract the interest of a journalist or editor.

Target your release

Press releases should be sent to only those publications that publish the type of information the organisation is seeking to obtain coverage for. For instance, a press release about :

• a local community initiative would go to the local newspaper and community radio station
• a new farmer's market could go to the local newspaper and community radio station as well as to food writers at the major metropolitan newspaper and television stations - they may cover the market for use on lifestyle programmes or as human interest filler towards the end of a news bulletin; it could also go to 'foodie' magazines (those read by people interested in gastronomy)
• a major, new medical development would go to the major metropolitan media, the news agencies (Reuters, AP etc), specialist publications (magazines, specialist industry journals and newsletters) as well as local media in the area where the developer or institute is based.

The structure of press releases

Press releases follow an established structure:

• distributed on A4 size pages
• make use of the inverted pyramid newswriting style
• focus on a single, main message
• are as brief as possible
• use short sentences
• have a single idea to a paragraph
• leave wide margins for journalists to scribble in
• provide direct quotes from a credible, articulate person avaliable to journalists following-up the media release.

Press releases - inclusions:

• press releases should be produced on your organisation's letterhead (for authenticity and credibility)
• should show the organisation's contact details, including phone number (most journalists will phone to follow up a press release)
• should have the name, phone number and email of the organisation's spokesperson; this may appear at the end of the information as 'For more information contact (spokesperson and contact details)'
• should show the date the press release is issued
• can have an 'embargoed until (date follows)'; this asks the journalist to delay publication until the stipulated date, however there is no onus on the journalist to comply with an embargo. This is often done to time publicity to an official release or a launch.

Analysing the press release

Let's look at the following press release to see how it is structured...

MEDIA RELEASE

PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY TO THE MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS

THE HON CHRIS GALLUS MP

3 May 2004

News Boost for Pacific on World Press Freedom Day

News and current affairs will receive a boost in the Pacific through a new Australian media assistance initiative, the Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Mrs Chris Gallus, announced today on World Press Freedom Day.

'The Australian Government's overseas aid program, AusAID, will provide $2.1 million over three years to the Pacific Media and Communications Facility,' Mrs Gallus said.

'The media and communications sectors have a critical role to play in promoting accountability and transparent decision making.

'The program aims to support better political, business and economic reporting and improve standards of investigative journalism,' Mrs Gallus said.

'Regional media bodies, governments and non-government organisations will benefit significantly from more effective information exchange.

'The program also aims to improve ethical standards, media laws and coverage of regional governance meetings such as the Forum Economic Ministers Meeting.

'The Australian Government has recently contributed more than $4.5 million to highlight the importance of an independent media in promoting development and economic growth in the region,' Mrs Gallus said.

Media contacts:

Shane Fairlie (Office of Mrs Gallus) 02 6277 4840 or 0408 680 442

Dominic Morice (AusAID) 02 6206 4220 or 0417 683 126

..............................

The press release was produced on A4 size paper and posted on the Department's website in the 'press' pages.

• at the top of the page in a bold, upper case font are the words 'press release', cleary identifying the purpose of the communication
• immediately below, the source of the press release is identified - the department, office and person making the statement
• below is the date the release was made public
• then follows a headline identifying the business of the press release
• the body of the message written in the inverted pyramid style, with quotes attributed to the minister, follows
• the press release ends with contact details to follow-up the information; note that mobile phone numbers are included to increase the chance of journalists making contact.

The structure of the press release provides increasing detail:

• the most important information is summarised in the first paragraph of the body of the press release
• the second paragraph expands on this with quantities and times and by identifying the agency - AusAID - responsible
• a rationale for taking the initiative follows - the role of the media in promoting accountability and transparent decision making
• specifics follow, providing information about the areas targeted by the expenditure as well as some of the types of organisations that may benefit
• the final paragraph situates the expenditure in the context of recent associated expenditure and in the ongoing programme of aid and development to the region.

The press release is concise and fact-filled. Journalists requiring more detail and specific information contact the listed media contacts, the parliamentary secretary's press secretary or media adviser.

A journalist could use the press release as stimulus for a longer piece to address questions such as whether the initiative is being made because the government believes there are problems with the region's media as it exists and of the ownership and political attitudes of the regional media, especially towards the Australian government.

Details of how the funds mentioned in the last paragraph are to be disbursed would also be of interest, as would the type (and identity, if available) of the media, non-government organisations and governments mentioned as beneficiaries. How such bodies qualify for funds and the government's assessment of the reliability of the bodies to properly administer funds would be of interest to readers who follow media affairs, overseas aid and development.

Additional press material

Where it would help editors and journalist's understanding, additional material can be provided with the press release or offered on the release as available on request. This would provide background such as historic material, timelines, reports from experts, argument and other material that leads to greater understanding and context.

Press releases distributed by email can have an active link to such material on the organisation's website. Place the material on the website in a 'background reading' or 'supplementary press material' folder on the media page and link it to the press release.

Follow-up

For newspapers, send your press release at least a week in advance of the event you wish to publicise so it can be placed in the news diary. Follow it up with a call to the media organisations to offer additional material or an interview.

Information for publication obtained from press releases is followed up by questioning at interviews. A journalist or research assistant for a television programme may phone for additional information after reading the press release. If still interested, a journalist, radio or television producer will arrange an interview. Print and radio journalists may interview by telephone but if a photograph is needed they may come in person with a photographer. If your organisation has the capacity it may offer a photograph - this should be a clear, in-focus black and white print or colour approximately 20 x 25cm or a colour slide. A digital image should be saved at 300dpi to the same size and can be emailed or delivered on CD.

If the organisation produces press releases on a more-frequent basis (do not send too many), the media liaison person can compile a list of media contacts. If money is no object, listings of media organisations that are updated regularly can be purchased. Alternatively, search the Internet for media contacts.

Organisations should appoint a spokespeson that is:

• readily available to the media
• credible - they know what they are talking about
• articulate - they can participate in discussion and argument and explain information clearly and concisely
• calm under pressure, so they can address difficult questions without being fazed
• presentable - so as not to distract an audience from the subject to the appearance of the spokesperson; this is more relavent to television appearances and in making presentations.

An interview does not mean automatic publication - even when an interview takes place, breaking news or items considered to be more important may replace it.

If a media organisation arranges an interview, remember to:

• answer questions to the best of your knowledge, and honestly
• keep answers brief - do not go into great detail because the publication will not have space to publish it all and television programmes will edit to only a few seconds per response
• if a television interview has been arranged, avoid wearing contrasting striped clothing as it can produce weird dazzling effects on-screen; long, dangly earrings can be a visual distraction on television; wear something simple and of a safe colour such as blue.

Reasons for non-publication

Reasons that the issuing of a press release might not be followed by publication include:

• lack of relevancy - the news is not relavant to a particular publication; news about a local fair might not be relevant to a national newspaper such as The Australian, for instance
• competition - the press release arrived at a time when it faced competition from other news; while it might have been published on a 'slow news day', such as a Friday, it was not considered important enough to use instead of something else
• old news - news must be 'new' information or a new slant (news angle) on existing information
• legal liability - the press release contains information that may be considered defamatory by a court
• vagueness - the press release contains little by way of specific, verifiable or quantifiable information or contains vague, undefined generalisations (lack of 'hard' information)
• difficult language - the release may contain too much jargon or technical information for a non-technical news outlet
• unsubstantiated information - claims that are not backed by credible and verifiable evidence and all quotes attributed (ie. the person making them should be identified)
• advertising in disguise - press releases may be advertising in the disguise of news
• poor writing - press releases may be so poorly writen that they confuse and hide facts - what is called 'gobblededgook'.