Press release don’ts
By Hugh Welsh
As a former newspaper and magazine reporter, I received dozens of press releases on a daily basis. I admit: I didn’t get beyond reading the subject heading in a majority of cases. Either the heading was sensational, clearly didn’t fit my beat, or was too vague or wordy. On one occasion, I got an email that stated, “Trust me, this WILL pique your interest.” Um, no it won’t. Because I’m not even going to open it. Delete.
In terms of the press release itself, here’s what you need to do to capture a journalist’s attention.
- Don’t send it as an attachment. The last thing a journalist who’s on deadline wants or needs is a virus. So, they’re not going to bother opening it.
- Use simple, straightforward formatting (i.e. no fancy fonts, colors or images). Don’t apply lipstick to a pig. Just state the facts.
- Get to the point: the who, what, when, where, why and why should the journalist care? Don’t go all anecdotal. Leave that to the journalist who opts to give you coverage.
- Introduce yourself ahead of the press release or immediately afterward, ideally in the form of a phone call. If a journalist recognizes your name, he or she is much more likely to be receptive to your email.
