The Media Release

Many organizations, including political parties and corporations, regularly use media releases to get news out. If the newspapers, radio or television stations actually use the information in your release, you’ve succeeded. The media will then spread your news to their varied audiences — for free.

Keep a list of media contacts who may be interested in your issue locally or provincially (e.g., the SPACE issue may be covered by people on the Town/or City beat or the Education file or the Queen’s Park file). Keep a list of alternative or small media (e.g., ethno-specific media, cable TV public interest, community newspapers, or radio, university/college radio).

Plan your media strategy: 1) media release? 2) media event? 3) Letter to the Editor?

If you plan on using a media event, keep in mind that the best timing for a media event is before deadline (10:30 or 11:00 am). Send out a media advisory the day before your media event. Include just enough information about your event to get them to attend – time, place, and subject. Don’t tell everything, or they won’t attend!

Media outlets receive a large number of media releases every day, but can only deal with a few. The trick is to create a media release that catches the attention of the people who decide which stories merit coverage.

The first rule is to put the topic of your media release right up front. This makes use of the well-known pyramid technique of journalistic writing – start with why it is important. In contrast to the media advisory, with a media release you want to spill the beans straight away. Work to make your title a real ‘grabber’.

Put your basic information for the whole release right up front in your first paragraph. Ensure that this first paragraph does not exceed 30 words.

Use wording that is clear, short and simple, but meaningful. Emphasize concrete words, not abstract phrasings. Above all, be factually accurate. And try to keep your media release to one key topic, preferably one you can convey quickly and memorably.

If possible, come up with a catchy quotation or two that media people can use as written right away.

Spend a little time making sure your media release is worded accurately and that it captures the key elements of the story properly. Ensure it is difficult or impossible to misunderstand. Ideally, your media release will reflect well on you and your organization, and be able to stand up to close scrutiny by others.

Some basic information must always be included in the layout of your media release. This information must stand out clearly. Some variation may occur in the precise layout used by different organizations. Strive for a one-page limit. The example given on the next page provides you with a model that is effective for a wide variety of purposes. (The ‘- 30 -’ that is shown is a convention that is frequently used for ending the release.)

Releases can be delivered many ways. Increasingly, however, email and fax are preferred because of the speed with which they reach their destination. It is a good idea to follow up with a telephone call to ensure the release arrived and to initiate contact with the media.

Make sure the media has a way of contacting you for questions or additional background, and that you really are available!

Remember, journalists are busy people. If they are working on a story, there is almost always a looming deadline. Once the decision is made to cover your story, the more help you can provide the journalist to tell your story well, the more effective it is likely to be.