Writing Style for your Press Release
Media is one of the most important elements of the current world as it has the ability to control the minds of the masses. The two basic types of media are electronic media and print media. The latter has evolved over the centuries as journalists from all across the globe adopted different styles of writing. Media is so crucial these days that the countries which control the media, eventually have a significant influence over other countries.
Same is the case for different companies and organizations which use media as a great tool for the projection of their business. Unless or until you build a strong rapport with the media, your chances of success are very bleak. This is precisely the reason why all the multi-nationals have a separate public relations department.
Through a press release, you communicate the happenings of an event to the media, which then conveys it to the masses. Writing a press release however, is not as easy as you may think, since you have to ensure that each and every aspect of the issue being addressed has been covered. The writing style should be extremely professional as you are dealing with journalists, who are well-educated and informed people.
Instructions
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1
Cover five Ws and one H
Five Ws and one H is a very common term in journalism. It means who, what, when, where, why and how. By covering the five Ws and one H, you can make sure that each and every fact about the event has been covered.
Even if there are some mistakes in your writing style, no fact about the event should be missing.
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2
Writing style
Your writing must not be vague or unclear. Use small but thoroughly elaborating sentences. If your writing is compact, you can definitely have a very good impression on the journalists.
In the first paragraph, you should summarise the whole event in two or three lines. It is called the introduction or the lead. Give details in the body of the press release and conclude in the last paragraph. You must proofread the press release twice to eradicate any errors. It is highly recommended that you take advice from an editor before circulating the press release.
A press release should be on the company’s official letterhead.
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3
Information should be in logical order
The information about an event must be in logical order, so that you can communicate clearly with the journalists. It is also important that you cover all the information on one page, in order to make it convenient for the journalists.
