Writing Effective Press Releases
By Linda Wallace

The public can empower itself to be active partners in defining and directing local news coverage, Linda S. Wallace, a veteran journalist turned communications specialist told participants during an afternoon session on writing effective press releases at the PABJ Media Access Workshop in 1999.

"We must begin by taking responsibility for reporting the stories that happen on our streets and in our neighborhoods -- stories that WE want to read,," Wallace said.

The first step is for community organizations and nonprofits to change how they look at news. If they emphasize news and downplay the need for publicity, they'll be far more effective in the long run, said Wallace, who has worked with Community College of Philadelphia and the Organized Anti-Crime Community Network.

"When you assess a story that concerns your organization, ask yourself what's in it for the readers and the TV viewers, and then, what your community organization stands to gain," she said. "That's a strategy we call news relations. Sell the news element and not your organization or yourself."

To maximize effectiveness, Wallace said news releases should have one or more of the following elements:
* A tie-in to a current story in the news.
* A human angle and person whose life can illustrate the story.
* A broad appeal that extends beyond racial and geographical boundaries.
* A novel news angle.
*A proposed solution or an action the public may take.

Those who wish to develop a knack for uncovering interesting community news should follow these eight simple steps, she said.
* Put self-interest of the larger community ahead of the organization or neighborhood.
* Set up networks and structures within your organization to identify interesting angles for news stories. "If you work with a neighborhood drill team, have the members fill out questionnaires that detail their achievements and tell their life stories. Use this information when you pitch stories on your team to the local newspapers and television stations," Wallace said.
* Accommodate the press and respect deadline pressures.
* Be polite, passionate and persistent.
* Take time to write letters to the good reporters and thank them for fair, balanced and objective work.
* Become an expert on the local media. "Think of them as your hometown players. Memorize the names and beats of reporters on local television and radio stations, and pay attention t bylines of newspaper reporters," Wallace said. "Become a literary detective. Read the newspaper each day to discover the reporter who shares your passion, and approach that reporter with your news tip."
* Don't send out press releases that lack a strong news value. "Use the mother test. Ask yourself, 'Is this something that my mother would find interesting?'"
* Check your facts, and then check them again. Develop a system for proofing releases for typos and grammatical errors.

Other coverage tips:
Getting your story told
How one N.J. group got its message out
Examples