The standard format.
WHAT IT IS FOR
Giving a journalist everything needed to write a story.
WHAT IT SHOULD CONTAIN
A headline stating the news An opening paragraph containing the whole story Supporting detail, in descending order of importance A quotation from a named person Background about the organisation Contact details for follow-up The date
WHY THE STORY IN THE FIRST PARAGRAPH
Editors cut from the bottom, and readers stop early.
WHAT THE FIRST PARAGRAPH MUST ANSWER
What happened, who is involved, when, where and why it matters.
WHAT MAKES A HEADLINE WORK
It states the news plainly.
WHAT MAKES ONE FAIL
Cleverness Marketing language Ambiguity
WHAT MAKES A QUOTATION USABLE
It says something a person would actually say It adds meaning rather than repeating the facts
WHAT MAKES ONE USELESS
Corporate language nobody speaks Claims of delight and excitement Restating the announcement
WHY THOSE ARE CUT
They add nothing, and journalists remove them.
WHAT TO AVOID THROUGHOUT
Adjectives and superlatives Unsupported claims Jargon Length
HOW LONG
Short. One page is usually enough.
WHAT TO ATTACH
Images, where relevant, at usable quality Any data referenced
WHY IMAGES
They increase the chance of use substantially.
WHAT TO ENSURE
That the contact actually answers.
WHY
An unreachable contact ends the story.
