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A good media release can make or break the coverage received, so it’s worth putting in the effort if you have positive news to share. At Daymark we often write media releases on behalf of clients, or review and edit first drafts. These are a few things we bear in mind to ensure media success:
The Title and First Paragraph are Crucial
News desks have always received more media alerts than they can cover, but with the ease of digital communication journalists now say they are swamped with releases and pitches. The title of the media release needs to indicate an email is worth opening, and the first paragraph of the release needs to convey why the subject of the release is newsworthy. Ideally the opening paragraph is one short, snappy sentence that grabs the reader and encourages them to read on. Similar to first paragraphs in newspaper articles, it could include several facts on “Who, What, When, Where, Why/How”.
Limit the number of spokespeople
Often we receive a draft release with quotes from 2, sometimes even 3, different company representatives. A media release is not the place to make everyone feel important and involved. Reporters have limited wordcount or airtime to tell a story, and will not want to devote time and space to introducing different spokespeople from the one company – plus, this is confusing for the audience, who simply wants to know what “the company” says on the matter. Choose one spokesperson (usually the CEO but occasionally the head of a specialist area), and ideally have images available featuring the same person.
Make sure your quotes are quotable!
The media release is your best opportunity to influence how a story is presented. Short, punchy and interesting quotes (which you have had the opportunity to refine) are likely to be picked up by reporters, ensuring your key messages reach the audience in their pure form. Long-winded, complicated, repetitive or boring quotes will be ignored. It sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised how often companies waste this opportunity to package up their message in a way that will be adopted by journalists. The best quotes are ones that provide greater insight on some of the facts contained in the media release, rather than simply stating the facts themselves.
Quotes should also sound like they were spoken aloud. Don’t include giveaway abbreviations that might be written but not usually said, like “ie” and “eg”, or insert complicated punctuation.
Keep the Language Concise
Avoid unnecessarily long words where a short one will do the job – “use” not “utilise”, for example. That applies to both quotes and the accompanying text. Avoid jargon. If you refer several times to an organisation with a long name, consider adopting an abbreviation for second and subsequent mentions. Eg “the Australian Association for Vegan Fashion (AAVF)”. Otherwise limit acronyms as much as possible, and do not use any that have not been defined.
Keep It Short
Ideally a media release fits on a single page. If you can’t explain the importance of the subject in a page, how will a media outlet? Aiming for a single page also helps keep a focus on tight language and quotes, which will also improve the release. If there is complicated or extensive background to the subject, consider taking this out of the body of the release and include in a “More Information” section at the end.
Target the Right Media
Building relationships and trust with media will help you manage your company’s public face over the long term, so it is worth making sure you are only sharing company updates with relevant media – and equally that you are ensuring journalists who have shown an interest in your company are not omitted in your distribution. If you are part of a large company you are likely to have access to a media database to tailor distribution appropriately, or Daymark can assist with this process.
Finally, a note on distributing the release. It is certainly easier to do a mass mailout or automated send. But a tailored pitch in a cover email can be worth the effort for key journalists and publications. Give a one-line summary of the news and why it would be relevant to the publication’s audience. Let the journalist know what other resources are available – images, grabs, interview opportunities etc – but don’t send large image files with the release itself as it may get blocked. And make sure you monitor and evaluate the media coverage received, as this will provide useful insights for your next release.
