Campaign toolkit

Press release

Suitable for:

All types of organisations.

What is it?

A press release is an announcement you make to the press with the goal of generating media coverage. It is essentially a request to the media to talk about an issue or to tell them of news that you think is of interest. Press releases are a must for virtually every campaign, especially for the launch.

Benefits

  • Easy to produce and to disseminate.
  • Includes the most important information about your campaign.
  • When you reach the crucial media, a lot of people can find out about your campaign.

Limitations

  • Journalists get hundreds of press-releasesevery day so research your mailing list carefully to reach the relevant contact.

Ingredients for a successful news release

In order for a press release to be successful you will need:

  • Something real to communicate; news, facts and data.
  • Text that will grab the journalist’s attention. For example, a good headline. It should tell the whole story and be as catchy and hard-hitting as possible.
  • Including a quote from either a high ranking member of your organisation or a specialist is recommended to bring the story alive.
  • One contact name and preferably a mobile number.
  • A release date.
  • A place of issue.

Format

  • The opening paragraph should summarise the key message, containing who, why, where and what the press release is communicating.
  • The remaining text should reinforce the main message and key information to support it.
  • Journalists are busy people so, where possible, try to limit the text to a single page.

Distributing the release

  • When distributing the release it is essential to draw up a list of the publications and radio/TV stations that your target audiences are most likely to read, watch or listen to, including trade publications and local press. This will help you to identify the individual journalist who is likely to deal with your subject area.
  • Always send your release to a named journalist and, time allowing, call them to see if they received it and whether they need additional information.