A press release is a written statement, addressed to the media with the intent to convey a message, and therefore shall be structured and recorded formally.
Every press release statements start off with a headline. Within this headline, it is important to supply the addressed audience with a suiting tagline that most appropriately labels your release. You may also wish to include a very succinct summary or description attached to the headline. It may also be of advantage to include some peripheral details to further spark curiosity from the media.
The second step is called the dateline. This process involves the recording of the date, at which you wish to release this document, followed by the city in which this press release originates from. (i.e. Paris, France. – April 6, 2009)
Thereafter, the introduction follows. This part should be the foundation of your actual content, and is usually written in one paragraph. It is important to point out key functions that the introduction should portray such as: who is involved, what is being reported, when this is happening, why and where this is taking place.
The body of this release is the core part of your press release. This section should explicitly target your core aspects of this document and be further substantiated by a detailed analysis, statistics, visual aids and a background if applicable. Another important function of a press release is not only to inform the targeted audience, but also to evoke curiosity, peculiarity and most importantly interest.
The next step of this process is known as the boilerplate. Within this section leave information about the background of the involved parties. In general terms, this is also known as the ‘about’ section.
There are three different ways of formally closing your press release. The closing of your release is indicated under the boilerplate, by the following captions. In traditional sense, “-30-” was an indicator line for closing a press release. In contemporary version, it is common to indicate the closing with “###” or “ends”.
The final and concluding step of this document is to provide the media with contact information. This is necessary as they might want to contact you for more detailed information. Be sure to include your particulars such as name, phone number, email address, department, address, etc.
In conclusion, a press release should have the general structure outlined above and is to be written in a succinct yet formal style.
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