Thursday, 12 June 2014

Week 11 - Reflection

5 tips for writing a good press release.



 1. Good headline.
The most important thing in a press release is a strong headline. It will pull in journalists seeking good stories. Your headline should be as attractive and accurate.
2. The very important first paragraph.
Reporters will only read the first sentence and scan the rest. So, the first paragraph is very important for you to get put in every important point should be talked in the first few sentences. Besides that, one sentence max length is 25 words.

3. Only one page
As with most good writing, shorter is usually better. Limit yourself to one page, though two pages are acceptable. This will also force you to shorten your most significant information into a more readable document.

4. Spelling and grammar
Always check the text several times for typos and grammar mistakes and it will make you look unprofessional if there are mistakes in your press release. And after you are happy that there are no mistakes, ask someone else to double check.

5. Who to target?
Targeting the media who cover what you write about is not just important, but means less wasted time for you and the editors. Besides that, nowadays don’t just think print publications, but also websites, e-magazines and blogs. So, you have to know who to target and to use different writing style to approach them.



References:
1. Zach Cutler: 8 Tips for Writing a Great Press Release. 2014. [ONLINE] Available at: at:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zach-cutler/press-release-tips_b_2120630.html. [Accessed on 12 June 2014].

2. 7 Tips for Writing a Killer Press Release | Entrepreneur.com . 2014. 7 Tips for Writing a Killer Press Release | Entrepreneur.com . [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/232296. [Accessed 03 July 2014].

3. 10 Essential Tips for Writing Press Releases | Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS). 2014. 10 Essential Tips for Writing Press Releases | Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS). [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.ala.org/alcts/confevents/preswk/events/10tips. [Accessed 03 July 2014].



 written by: Chow Yee Chian

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