I get dozens of press releases every week. So what makes one stand out from the pack? What makes me say this one, rather than that one, needs to go directly to a reporter for them to flesh it out into a story?
There are obvious lightbulbs such as if it’s a local report on a hot topic such as animal abuse, or crime, or somebody winning a prestigious award.
But there are other ways to make me take notice of your release, even if it’s not a community bombshell.
First point, sound like a real person. The wording you used for your grant application may have been polished to a high shine, but nobody in the general public (me included) wants to read that.
Grant speak is a language all its own. It tends to be full of buzz words and phrases, shifting paradigms and important initiatives and multi-cultural blah, blah, blah. It’s enough to put a regular reader to sleep.
Likewise the wording from your corporate planning document with its visioning, and outcomes and stakeholder consultation what-have-you is likely to be unsuccessful in getting anyone to take even a vague interest in the topic at hand.
The thing is, almost nobody talks like this in the real world, and then it’s only people who’ve been to too many management seminars and drunk the Kool-aid.
Use colourful language and idioms. Write it down like it would come up in conversation. It makes the story sound fun, rather than like a chore to be trudged through.
If you’re including quotes from a manager or director or the like, don’t let them spend two days sanitizing them until they sound like a particularly dry textbook or the boilerplate in your insurance policy.
Second point, in newspaper parlance, don’t bury the lede (the first sentence or two of the story that makes people want to read further). Don’t make me read through five paragraphs before getting to the point. I have seconds to spend on each email, not hours.
Further to the point, make sure to let me know high up that it’s local. I will always give a local event or individual or group priority. Don’t make me click through documents to discover if it has any ties to Cowichan.
Third point, if you’re bored, I’m bored.
One of my journalism professors always used to ask the question “why do I care”. That was the key to whether a student would be told to run with a story or not. It’s also key to helping define what the story even is. I encourage everyone to ask themselves this question when they sit down to write a press release or a story tip.