Addison just wrote an excellent
diary, in which he suggested that DKosers start writing press releases instead of letters to the editor. They have more information and a better chance of getting published.
Wanted: Press Kit Tutorial by Learned Pro! (none / 0)
I agree with you, we need a template for this sort of thing. Now, I'm pretty sure there are other people here that've been successful with press kits, or know how to make one persuasive, and here's hoping one of them will write up a tutorial diary...
ASCII and ye shall receive, I've always said. Yeah, it's been a long time since I was in school, but I think I can come up with something that would masquerade easily as a press kit.
Remember, journalists are honest, but basically lazy - like me and you. Give them a good story, make sure you have your facts straight, and there's a good chance your story will be published.
More crap below the fold.
Your press kit should contain:
- A one page generic cover letter to the editor to promote interest. This letter should include contact information in case they have questions or want further interviews. Put at least two ways to contact you on the sheet - a cell phone and a land line are two good ways to do that.
- Fact sheet - a list of facts with attributable sources, so that the newspaper can check your story and verify without having to actually do any research themselves. This fact sheet will contain all of the facts mentioned in your article, and some that you didn't have space for. Direct quotes are gold, so if you can find some, quote away.
- A press kit always includes graphics of some sort. As Cream City pointed out, it makes the story more attractive and more likely to run. Since this is a press release meant to redistribute stories that have already run with low coverage in the MSM, photos as such will be hard to come by - especially photos without publishing rights. If you can take a story from the media, turn it around and apply it to your community, then you have a chance to include photographs of the people involved - especially if they're in a rally or community event.
- Your press release. Write a newsworthy article, using the inverted pyramid method, and following the AP stylebook rules of punctuation and grammar. The inverted pyramid method means all the most important facts are at the top of the story. The second paragraph is an expansion of the facts mentioned in the first paragraph. The third (and fourth, if necessary) can be a recap of historical facts that have to do with this story, or recent events that have some bearing. Make sure you give your article a GREAT headline. If it's clever and short enough, it might even be used. Make sure your release isn't too long. This can be the kiss of death. The editor will glance at it, say 'I don't have time for this' and throw it on his pile. Then it will gather dust and sink to the bottom, where archeologists will discover it thousands of years later.
What, when, where, how and why Your press release needs to do at least one of the following to be effective:
• Deals with a problem of concern to a large segment of the community.
• Is effective.
• Could be even more effective with greater media exposure.
• Has an interesting story to tell.
• Offers visual or print images that will attract readers.
• Will create a favorable public image for the station, newspaper, or company, if it chooses to cover, support, or participate in the program.
The most important thing is to be truthful. Don't try to distort the facts to get your article published, because if you're found out, the story will be discredited - whether it's true or not. Look what happened to Dan Rather. For more questions about journalism, refer to this
website.
This information is meant only for press releases to newspapers. Cream City pointed out that there's no reason why you couldn't send a media kit along the same lines to radio and television stations. There's no fancy video editing skills involved, and besides - too slick and you'll look like the other guys. For more questions about press kits, refer to this
website.