Why Is Contact Information So Important To Your Press Release?

Normally, your business or organization should be prominently displayed in your press release. If you’re distributing your press release the old fashioned way, it’s a good practice to display your businesses contact information at the top of the press release. Online, you should disclose your contact information as part of the boilerplate.

In general the more contact information you can provide, the better. This is because every journalist has a preferred way to contact people they’re interested in interviewing or writing about. Many just want to call, so a phone number is very important. I’ve even had one reporter send me a text message. Others will drop you a line first, either through email or your website. As social media continues to evolve, you’ll find that it’s not just bloggers who make first contact through a social network.

It’s important to include your contact information for three main reasons.

1. If a journalist needs more information, they can get it. Sometimes, they’re looking for a quote. Other times, they need more details about your product, service, or event. In the case of a product or service, they might want to see a demonstration or test it. They might just want raw statistics and data. For an event, they might want to attend. Whether it’s a movie release, book signing, or grand opening… having the media present could be great.
2. The journalist can contact you for discussion. They might want you to appear as an expert in a certain area on a television or radio broadcast. It could be that they want to have you on their show to discuss your news or need to interview you so they can put their own spin on a story. Whatever the case, they need contact information to do so.
3. The journalist needs to verify the story. Even if the news outlet got all the information they needed from your release to write their story or if they wanted to run your news story exactly as it is, they will likely still contact you. Nearly all media outlets have a policy of verifying the source of a story. This is necessary to ensure that news stories that run are true and accurate. That’s how they maintain their credibility. Without a way to get a hold of you, you’re story would not run.