WHAT FORMAT ARE PRESS RELEASES IN?
To write a good Press Release, it�s important to understand its format. Writing a good Release is a gift, but it can also be developed with practice. In this article, we shall talk about the format of Press Releases.
Firstly, there should be the words Press Release, in uppercase, right at the top. This would be followed by the headline. The first letter of the headline should be in uppercase, and the first letter of each proper noun should be in Caps as well. Preferably the headline should be formatted in bold to make it eye-catching.
Write �For Favor Of Immediate Publication� on the top right. In case you do not want the story to be made public yet, write �Hold For Release Until�� and then write the date after which you would want the story to be carried.
Next up, write the date and the city, as well as the state, from where the Press Release is being issued. Then comes the first paragraph, probably the most important part of a Press Release. Unless your first paragraph is catchy and informative, you won�t get anywhere. Most Editors and journalists just read the first paragraph � if they find it interesting, you have got yourself a story, and if they don�t find it worth continuing, then whoops! There goes your Press Release into the waste-paper basket!
So take care with your first paragraph. Provide the �who, what, when, where, why, how� of the story. Who does the story concern? What has he/she done? In case it is a company, what has happened? Has there been an acquisition of some sort, or a merger? Was there a seminar held? Be crisp and concise, and compactly fit in the basics of the news story into that first paragraph. Now you are ready to proceed to the second paragraph.
The second paragraph should orient the journalist with the story further. Provide more details, a quote of the person in question. In case the Release is about a company or an institute, provide a quote of a senior official. The main thing is to provide information, in as crisp and to-the-point manner as you can.
In your third and final paragraph, you should sum up the story, and make your conclusion. It�s important to remember that in the whole of the text, you should avoid using flowery or elaborate language. Concentrate on making it clear and crisp, adding too many praiseworthy words or adjectives will make it difficult for a journalist to read.
Finally, add a Contact Person at the end of the Release � a person whom a journalist can contact in case there are further questions or clarifications. Phone number and email address should be provided as well. Always end a Press Release with the symbols �###� so as to signify the finish. Also, if the Press Release runs into two pages, put � � more � � at the bottom right on the first page, and number the second page.