Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Writing Media Press Releases

Author: Magnus

We may have been hearing about releases without actually knowing or understanding which is which and what they stand for. A news release, media press releases, press release or press statement is a form of written or recorded communication which is mostly handed to the news media for announcement to the public. Mostly, these releases are emailed, faxed or mailed to the news editors of the news media they want to use for the news announcement.

Most news releases are adopted in public relations where they are used to attract media attentions. News releases serve as news source for reporters and they provide information as scheduled events, personal promotions, awards, news products and services, sales, accomplishments, etc.

On the other hand, media press releases are short news articles about a company and their product. The media needs these stories to work as readers will be searching for interesting stories. So the attention here is focused on making the story workable. It doesn't require too much detail about the company like what they do and their benefits, but just few things to make the story work.

Contrary to all these, a press release is different from a news article. People often take this to be the same but it not so. A news article is a compilation of the facts surrounding a given firm but a press release can not be based on the general facts as there are elements surrounding each release. Press releases have several traits to whether it is a general news release, event release, product press release and more recently the social media release. This is why press releases are different from other PR communication methods like pitch letters or media advisories.

A press release can never be complete and will never be accepted without having some elements. For instance, a press release must have a headline, dateline, introduction, body, boilerplate, close and the media contact information which may include the name, phone number, email address, mailing address, or other contact information for the PR or media relations contact person.

On the other hand, unlike the other releases, the result a press release will get depends a lot on the newsworthiness of the story and how the audience is convinced.

One of the best ways of having a successful press release is to keep releasing a steady flow of news. You can no just release a story and relax once you see it on the limelight. There are many releases coming from other companies and they can get your release cleared out of the spotlight anytime. Keep the news coming! If you run out of headline, subjects or just get demoralized on the work, contract a press release service firm. Use firms that have been in business for sometime which understand the necessity and functionality of media press releases. There is always need for more good stories and a press release service firm knows just the right angle to ‘strike' your story and get the public gasping in surprise.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ezines-and-newsletters-articles/writing-media-press-releases-4670160.html

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