270 likes | 625 Views
The Press Release. A Media Manager’s Most Basic Tool. By Jason Van Dyke, M.M., Special Assistant (Administration). Are You A Communications person?. You all are!. Agenda. Relationships Targeting The Press Release Formatting / Writing Follow-up. Relationships.
E N D
The PressRelease A Media Manager’s Most Basic Tool By Jason Van Dyke, M.M., Special Assistant (Administration)
Are You A Communications person? You all are!
Agenda • Relationships • Targeting • The Press Release • Formatting / Writing • Follow-up
Relationships • THE single most important aspect of communications • How are relationships built? • On reputations • Hard work • TRUST / Honesty • Follow-up
Relationships • Care and feeding of one’s relationships are critical to success
Targeting • Ultimate goal of the release is to have language you use and define used by the reporter in their story • Reality—Most releases are not read • How to catch attention and reach the goal? • Targeting
Targeting • Two step process: • Know your audience • Anticipate and meet their needs
Knowing Your Audience • Generally 2 audiences for a release • The reporter • The end readers • Each is different, but must be addressed simultaneously
Who Is The Reporter? • Professional • Standards and norms they must conform to • Gatekeeper • They, along with the Editor, decide what is news
Who Is The Reporter? • Public good • See themselves as serving their readers • Provide a Product • Must provide a productpeople WANT
Who is the Reader? • The “average citizen” • Best to imagine some just like you • Looking for information AND entertainment • They want hard news, but in a form that is interesting ,compelling, and relevant
Who is the Reader? • Pressed for time • Busy lives and lots of competing information • Don’t assume they know anything, but NEVER lie or “stretch” the truth
Audience Needs • The Reporter • Good story • News values • Impact • Current interest • Timeliness • Conflict • Prominence • Proximity • Novelty
Audience Needs • The Reader • The five W’s • Who • When • What • Why • Where • How • Conditioned to accept the News Values as valid
The Press Release • Basic tool • Fixed format • Looks and reads like a news story • Gives information in briefest space • Easy to read and understand • When used correctly – very effective
Press Release Format • Who is sending the message / contact information • The words “For Immediate Release” and the date • A headline or title
Press Release Format • A lead (leade) that encapsulates the entire story in the first sentence • Background information in the last paragraph • Some sort of symbol indicating the end (### or -end-)
AP Style • How all news is written • AP Style Guide • Active Voice • Inverted pyramid • Lead(e) Sentence • Quotes are important • NO PUFFERY
Pictures • Action pictures • People pictures • Avoid clichés • Include attribution / credit
Follow-up • Do you already have a relationship? • Good time to start one • Also includes watching the news, getting the paper, or checking online to check your coverage • Assess success / failure
Let’s try it!!! • Facts: • Election of Officers • Event happened yesterday • Picture will be included
Example 2 • Facts: • Event: RiteCare® Clinic Opening • Next week at 3:00 pm • Mayor will be there • Food will be served to the public • Free testing for children • Ribbon will be cut by local news anchor who was treated forstuttering
The PressRelease A Media Manager’s Most Basic Tool By Jason Van Dyke, M.M., Special Assistant (Administration)