Writing a Press Release

Adpated from Susan Doyle. ENGL 302 writing for GOVERNEMENT https://web.uvic.ca/~sdoyle/E302/Notes/PressReleaseNotes.html
Link to Google Docs: https://docs.google.com/document/d/15VQ6y4ZCGeugrrxxG_58O6l8_cBw03Bn_H4ENeBDVXk/edit?usp=sharing

Press releases (or media releases) are one of the most effective ways for governments to get their messages out. They
allow any level of government to create its own news stories and circulate them to the public through media of all kinds.
A good press release is a clear, focused and readable account of whatever information a government office or agency
wants the public to know about. Press releases are a lot like news stories, and if well-written are often reprinted with
few changes in newspapers and other media outlets, ensuring the message gets passed on to the public intact.

The Parts of a Standard Press Release

 letterhead or logo of the government organization
 release time and date
 headline that highlights the message (e.g., NEW CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH PLAN FIRST IN CANADA) in
uppercase letters, boldface, or both
 location (i.e., capitol)
 body (3–7 short paragraphs)

Structuring the Press Release

1. Start with strong headline. Decide what the most important element of your piece is, the part you most want your
readers to remember. State it in 10 words or less. Ask yourself if what you wrote would make sense to someone
not familiar with the subject.
2. Start your first paragraph with a strong lead, something that will catch your readers’ attention and lead them into
the rest of the piece. It doesn’t have to be clever, it just has to grab your readers’ interest.
3. The lead paragraph should cover who, what, where, when and how, as applicable. This paragraph conveys all the
important information.
4. Then present the details of the story, following inverted pyramid order, starting with the most interesting or
pertinent information, followed by the rest of the details in order of decreasing importance.
5. Keep the length to 1–2 pages, 3–7 paragraphs, and no more than 3 sentences per paragraph.

To figure out what to include

1. Ask yourself what you want the story to do. Do you want support? attention? awareness? Write your piece with
that purpose in mind.
2. Put the things you want noticed ahead of other details.
 Original: On Monday, February 7, Minister for Children and Family Development Gordon Hogg and Minister of
State for Mental Health Gulzar Cheema announced a new plan to address children's mental health problems.
 Revised: Canada’s first comprehensive, provincial mental health plan for children was released today by Gordon
Hogg, Minister of Children and Family Development and Gulzar Cheema, Minister of State for Mental Health.
3. The remaining paragraphs should give more details, explain as necessary, and emphasize your key points.
4. Support your message with statistics or quotes.
5. Keep each statement and paragraph short and focused. Get to each point as quickly as possible.
6. If you are including an important announcement (a new program, policy change, funding) make sure it is clear,
accurate, complete and easily found in the text (usually in its own paragraph).
Remember, the aim of the press release is to have the greatest impact with the fewest words.

Writing and Editing Tips

1. Keep things short, simple and to the point.

2. Keep the writing clear, tight and straightforward.
3. Use a conversational tone, but keep it neutral and relatively formal (look at sample government press releases to
get an idea of the appropriate tone).
4. Put the most important details – who, what, when, where, why and how – in your first paragraph.
5. Write a concise middle – only the details that reflect exactly what you want to say.
6. Write a brief, concise ending that ties things off (conclusion) or leads on (refers to something beyond).
7. Edit, using these questions:
 Will your readers be able to visualize what you’re talking about? Use words that people can "see" (places,
people, things), rather than abstract terms (strategies, concepts, initiatives, improvements).
 Have you eliminated every unnecessary word?
 Have you provided good transitions between paragraphs?
 Have you varied the length of your sentences? Too many short sentences can give a choppy quality to your
writing.
 Do the words sound conversational in tone? Read your article aloud and edit as you go.

EXAMPLES
TEHRAN 13:33 16 MAY 2018

Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi has condemned the US Treasury Department’s
imposition of new sanctions on Tehran.

In a Wednesday statement, Qassemi said the US Treasury’s announcement of new bans on the Islamic Republic of Iran is
aimed at making up for Washington’s failure after it withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal.

“We regard this inappropriate policy and move as part of the US government’s ongoing hostile policies and unwise behaviour
against the Iranian nation, which has continued over the past decades in different ways. These spiteful policies will have no
benefits for the US, and will only make the Iranian government and nation more determined, patient and resistant than ever to
counter the United States’ anti-Iran moves,” the spokesman noted.

“The announcement of new sanctions against Iran, especially putting the name of the governor of the Central Bank of the
Islamic Republic of Iran on the list of sanctions, at a time when Iran and Europe have kicked off talks and consultations on the
JCPOA without the presence of the US, shows well that the United States has not yet been able to achieve its predetermined
anti-Iran objectives by unilaterally pulling out of the JCPOA.”

“Now in the wake of its failure and the destructive fallout from its blatantly wrong predictions and mistakes after unilaterally
leaving the JCPOA, the US government is seeking to sway the willpower and decisions of the remaining signatories to the
JCPOA and other countries in the world,” said the spokesman.

Qassemi touched upon the US government’s making abuses and excessive demands as it uses different policies and levers to
exert force, put forward unwarranted expectations, and make threats against other countries to advance its destructive
policies.

“Global reactions to the United States’ withdrawal from the JCPOA showed well that the US president’s illogical and unwise
decision which runs counter to all international regulations has affected the credibility and increased the isolation of the US
government and caused irreparable damage to the American people. The move also further proved that the great Iranian
nation is right to regard the United States and its administrations as unreliable,” he said.

Foreign Minister concerned about spiralling violence

OSLO 2018-05-15

'I am deeply concerned about the spiral of violence we are now seeing on the border between Israel and Gaza. I urge political
leaders on both sides, in the strongest possible terms, to calm the situation down and show restraint, to avoid further
escalation and additional loss of life,' said Minister of Foreign Affairs Ine Eriksen Søreide.

It has been reported that more than 50 Palestinians were killed in clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli troops in
the border area between Israel and Gaza today.

'It is unacceptable to fire live ammunition at protesters. This has been communicated clearly to the Israeli authorities. Nor
should Palestinian leaders encourage the protesters to escalate the situation further. It is imperative that the situation is
brought under control, so that the injured can be given lifesaving assistance and medical equipment can be delivered to Gaza,'
said Ms Eriksen Søreide.