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A NEWS RELEASE IS A TERRIBLE THING TO WASTE

Written by: Andy Marken

Article Overview: If you are going to do news releases...do them right!

A NEWS RELEASE IS A TERRIBLE THING TO WASTE

In this day of information explosion, the Internet and computerization,
it is comforting to hear editors and reporters say that
next to responding to their special requirements quickly and
accurately, the most important tool(s) they receive continues to be good news
releases. Unfortunately the news release is maligned because
most of those sent out by companies and agencies aren't simply
bad, they're pathetic.
Recently we surveyed a hundred and fifty business, trade
and newspaper editors across the country to see if they were
still of value and if so, what they expected from the releases.
Admittedly, writing a good news release doesn't make a PR
campaign but doing a poor one can dramatically cripple
your PR efforts.

Medium of Choice
While nearly all of the publications contacted had E-mail
and faxes, few expressed a desire to receive information using
these vehicles on a regular basis unless it was fast breaking news or had been
requested. Given a choice between snailmail, fax or e-mail, 90% would
take an e-mail every time. Their common voice was that they didn’t feel
guilty about discounting electronic 1s and 0s but discarding paper still
killed trees.
The news release remains the starting point for their
editorial endeavor, but there were a number who said they'd also
like to receive the write-up on diskette, especially if it was a
major announcement or a submitted or requested article.
In talking with the senior editors, they were quick to
point out that they were having an extremely hard time finding
good writers so they could understand why most of the releases
and backgrounders they received from publicists (internal or
agency) were such a waste of good trees.
"Fortunately, for the news media," one editor commented,
"journalism schools still seem to do a decent job of teaching
people the basics of good writing. But solid writing techniques
seem to have been dropped somewhere along the line in the PR
educational program.”
Certainly PR people have to understand geopolitics, envi-
ronmental and governmental issues as well as global marketing.
But at some point they have to write to communicate with the
outside world. Too many of these graduates are unable to meet
the challenge.

Focus on Objectives
It appears that too many people lose sight of exactly what
a news release is supposed to accomplish ... entice an editor or
reporter to write about the release's subject or call to get more
information. That means the release isn't a work of creative
art. It isn't a fluff and puff piece. It isn't designed to
stroke management's egos by having quote after quote on how great
the company and the product is.
Instead, it's a simple PR tool that is designed to commun-
icate information to your specific market(s). And if a busy
editor/reporter is forced to wade through the release to find his
or her kernel of news it probably won't be done.
Almost to a man (or woman) the editors and reporters we
surveyed said they receive an average of at least 500 releases a
week. Three-fourth of these are weak, amateurish, thinly veiled
sales presentations or so poorly written that they go directly
into the wastebasket for recycling into something useful like
more computer paper.

Qualified Person
The weakness sometimes comes about because senior manage-
ment gives the job to a secretary (manager) who has a flair with
words, a marketing/sales manager who does terrific sales letters
or the last person in the room when tasks were doled out. None
of this expertise makes an individual right for a job which
should be as important as preparing copy for a four-color ad.
After all, a well-organized, well-executed publicity
program that is integrated into the firm's total public relations
effort (op/ed pieces, user case studies, application and tech-
nical articles, speaking engagements, etc.) will produce handsome
rewards. Well executed publicity can make readers aware of the
company, its products, its services and capabilities; pave the
way for the sales force; help explore new and potential markets;
build relations with present customers; and attract qualified
personnel to the firm.
With all of these benefits, why should a firm be willing to
jeopardize its relationship with editors by giving publicity so
little attention?

Know Publications
When you're looking for a way to interest a publication in
your story, look at it from the editor's perspective, not that of
your management, marketing, engineering or yourself. Ask your-
self if anyone really cares or should care about the information.
If there is an interested group of people out there,
determine the editorial requirements of the given publication or
group of publications. Once this is done you can provide news
releases that will be published because they have the style,
content and necessary current angle to satisfy your audience's
requirements.

Basic Guidelines
In addition to the press release checklist below:
1, following are some basic guidelines our people have found
helpful in preparing press materials that get used:
* Write the release simply, clearly and factually making
certain you tell the full story as quickly as possible.
* Prepare background and biographical material that give
facts when the story dictates, not company puff and fluff.
In-depth company, product application and technical infor-
mation can often result in better coverage, especially if
the editor or reporter doesn't have to call to obtain more
information.
* Include photographs (black & white and transparency) that
are real with sharp contrasts. Editors have no desire to
use retouched ad shots, cheesecake, handshake or "mood"
photos. Make certain the cutline explains the photo and
ties into the release.
* Include in the release the name and telephone number(s) of
the people who should be contacted for additional infor-
mation. We include fax and home numbers since when an
editor or reporter needs additional information, they need
it immediately ... not in a day or two. And don’t forget the e-mail
address so the reporter can get the complete question to you for
response, even if you’re on the road.
* Write the release with a specific publication's readers in
mind. Once you've prepared your general release, write
separate leads and body copy for vertical market publi-
cations. Properly done, the results can be dramatic.

Serving Readers
Once the release(s) are well written, send them to the
appropriate editors/reporters so they can do their job ... serve
their readers need-to-know.
Don't feel you have to hand-deliver a release to make
certain the right person receives it; don't insist on reading the
release over the phone; don't blanket the publication's staff in
hopes that one or more will use the release; and don't call to:
A) make certain it's okay to send them the release or B) ask if
the received the release.
If you’re going to e-mail the release understand good netiquette.
Don’t set up a huge recipient list so that when people receive it they
have to wade through all of the names before they get to the meat of
the story. There are a number of good mail list programs available.
get one and learn how to use it. Or send each release separately.
Properly done, a sound news release program can yield
dramatic results for the organization. But publicity requires
skill and attention to win the approval first of the editor/
reporter and then of his/her readers.
Despite how simple the effort looks, news release
activities should not be relegated to a receptionist, a secretary
or a junior member of the firm who happens to write great poems
or sonnet's. This type of focused effort and activity can
contribute to the perception of the company, its products and its
success.
Of course, I could be wrong. But if I am let's cease
sending out millions of news releases every year to hundreds of
editors/reporters so we can save our environment.
# # #

Related Articles
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  Reasons Why News Releases Are Quickly Tossed Into The Trash, According To Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach
  How to Write an Effective News Release
  8 things which can happen to your press release
  How To Write A News-Worthy Press Release

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The Way We Were - You have to be middle aged or older to get this but I thought I would share it with you and it's all about [color=#008000:22uc7wu6]THE GREEN THING[/color:22uc7wu6] The Green Thing In the line at the supermarket, the cashier told an older woman that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment. The woman apologized to him and explained, "We didn't have the green thing back in my day." The clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment." He was right -- our generation didn't have the green thing in its day. Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the shop or off licence. They sent them back to the plant to be washed, sterilized and refilled and re-used. So it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled. But we didn't have the green thing back in our day. We walked up stairs, because we didn't have lifts and escalators in every shop and office building. We walked to the local shops and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go to a supermarket. We bought fruit and veg loose - and washed them at home. We didn't have to throw away bins full of plastic, foam and paper packaging that need huge recycling plants fed by monster trucks all day, everyday. But she was right. We didn't have the green thing in our day. Back then, we washed the baby's nappies (diapers) because we didn't have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts -- wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down (mostly hand made or hand knitted) clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing shipped from the other side of the planet. But that old lady is right; we didn't have the green thing back in our day. Back then shops repaired things with funny things called spare parts - we didn't need to throw whole items away because a small part failed. Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of Wales. In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used a wadded up old newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn petrol just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power and hand clippers for the hedges. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a brightly lit, air conditioned health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity and then drink millions of bottles of that special water from those plastic bottles. But she's right; we didn't have the green thing back then. We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a plastic cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new plastic pen, and we replaced blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole plastic razor just because the blade got dull. But we didn't have the green thing back then. Back then, people took the bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their parents into a 24-hour taxi service. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest Macdonalds. But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the green thing back then? ------------------------------------------------------------ regards, Mal.


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