Press Release Submission India

1. Writing better press releases Helping journalists to help you www.newsvoir.com

2. What is a press release? • A message opportunity. Every press release should have a clear message, and a clear target audience. • An information resource. A press releases is the basis for articles on the day or later - stored on RAPID. All the facts a journalistneedsshouldbethere. • Influencing the news agenda. A good press release will encourage journalists to write about yoursubject. Bad press releases meanthey look elsewhere... www.newsvoir.com

3. What is a press release? • A message opportunity. Every press release should have a clear message, and a clear target audience. • An information resource. A press releases is the basis for articles on the day or later - stored on RAPID. All the facts a journalistneedsshouldbethere. • Influencing the news agenda. A good press release will encourage journalists to write about yoursubject. Bad press releases meanthey look elsewhere... www.newsvoir.com

4. Four golden rules: • Have something to say… ...and make it sound interesting • Get to the point. Why should anyone care about this? • Think like a journalist : how can they make a story out of this? • Give them all they need. Don’t wait until they call you looking for more www.newsvoir.com

5. Main problems of our press releases • Too bureaucratic. Nobody cares about procedures. News is about real people. What does your story mean? • Upside down. Put the interesting bits first. Save the details for the end. Put boring bits in a footnote - or leave them out • Missing information. Are all the facts there? Have you got comparative figures? What will the journalists ask you for? • Euro-Jargon.Don’t say “Community Support Programme for employment”. Do say “EU plan to boost jobs” www.newsvoir.com

6. Making a press release work • Structure : a hierarchy of information • Content : give them what they need • Using it : be proactive. Use it to sell your story. www.newsvoir.com

7. Structure Every press release needs: • Title • Chapeau • Quote • Details • Background. www.newsvoir.com

8. What makes a good title? • Short : 2 lines max • Clear : Tell them what it is…straight up • Simple : The details come later • Action : Make something happen…use a verb www.newsvoir.com

9. What is the chapeau? • A summary of the main story - which stands alone (and is used for Midday Express) • Ideally 10 lines….maximum 15 • Answer the main questions :Who? What? When? Why? How? ….and if possible Where? • Only the main news…the details come later www.newsvoir.com

10. The main text • Keep following the pyramid of information - main messages still come first. • Provide a quote or two - and make them snappy • Try to guess the journalists’ questions : Who? What? When? Why? How? Where?….and what’s new? • Make it easy to read - use headings, bullet points, 3 key themes, a section of Background at the end… • Provide tables, graphs, facts, figures - for each country and region if possible. www.newsvoir.com

11. Make it work • The press release is the beginning of your work, not the end. It’s an essential tool, but it’s not a media plan. • The press release is a good advert for your story. But you probably need to do more to sell it : Have journalists got it? Have they read it? Will they use it? Talk to them. • Think about sending your press release to agencies early • Think about giving an advance the day before • Remember : the easiest way to make news is “Sunday for Monday” www.newsvoir.com