Media releases are a great way to disperse news about your business and gain publicity in the media.
They are written in a specific structure and must contain current or newsworthy information that a journalist and their audience would be interested in.
Here is a basic media release template which you can use to write a great media release.
MEDIA RELEASE
Date
Headline
The headline of a media release should be catchy, interesting and summarise the key points of the story. It is designed to catch a journalist’s attention and encourage them to read the whole thing. Ensure you bold it.
Lead
The lead paragraph is the key part of your media release and contains the most important information. It is essential your lead is interesting, succinct and explains the main point of your story. It should answer the following questions, who, what, when, where, why and how. Don’t make the lead paragraph too long; try to keep it at two to three lines long.
Body
The next paragraph should expand on the lead paragraph by providing more information. The body should be written in the inverted pyramid structure where the most important information is at the top of the release and the least important is at the bottom. If a journalist has limited space in the publication they can trim the media release from the bottom and the most important information will still be included.
Use short sentences and short paragraphs with active language. Always write in the third person.
Use quotes to make your writing more interesting but remember all assertions or opinions must be attributed to a particular person, or the organisation. The media are unable to use newsworthy assertions unless sourced, and they will often call to check on the quotes.
End
The last paragraph contains the least important information. For example background information or a summary of essential information about the organisation, event or person.
It is customary to finish the release with –ends- so the journalist knows it has finished.
Contact information
Add the sentence “For further media information contact:” and include a contact name, email and phone number.
Boiler plate (About us)
The boiler plate is a paragraph or two about the business, event or subject of the media release. This information will give the journalist an overview and isn’t necessarily needed in the release.
Try writing a media release for yourself using our FREE media release template. Download now:
Sydney Public Relations Agency, CP Communications provides specialist media, traditional and online PR strategies that get amazing results. Contact us today. For more great tips visit our website www.cpcommunications.com.au.
