How to Draft a Press Release
Press release is one of the rudimentary things in the field Public Relations. It is drafted whenever an organization intends to send out a formal statement to its relevant publics. A press release has an inherent news value and is aimed at getting coverage from various media organizations. Here are some of the points to get it right:
The Format: The generally accepted format for a press release delineates that there should be the name of the organization at the top followed by the contact details of the same, then the headline, summary, dateline and finally the body of the press release . The press release generally ends with the contact details of the PR department.
Headline: The headline is one of the key aspects of a press release and it is often recommended to frame it at after you are done with the press release. The headline is kept fairly short and should well illustrate the news value of the press release.
Summary: The chances of a press release getting selected and published rests entirely on the summary of the press release. The summary should put forth the crux of the press release in a clear and concise manner.
Body: The body starts with the dateline which includes the release date and the name of the place from where the release originated. The dateline is followed by the lead which is an introduction to the press release. The lead must straight away answer the what, when, where, who and how of the story. After the lead, you start with the main body of the press release.
It is preferable, that a press release should always be written in third person. Quotes by important people of the organization should also be included in the press release frequently. Overall, the press release should be a cohesive piece of information intended to address the relevant publics of the organization.
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