Media Release

A media release, also know as a press release, is one of the most frequently used tactics or tools in the public relations practice. A media release can be either a news release or feature release. News releases present hard news and feature releases offer human-interest stories. The most commonly distributed release is a news release. Although publicity is a strategy used by many public relations practitioners, those who specialize in working with the media are called publicists and media relations specialists.

Releases are sent to a media gatekeeper, such as a print journalist or television producer who determines the stories that appear in a publication or on a broadcast. The most common form of media release is the news release, which conveys information that is considered newsworthy and is written in an inverted pyramid format. The inverted pyramid format begins with a clothesline lead of information, including the elements of who, what, when, where, how, and why. Next, facts and details are developed in the body of the release, supporting the lead sentence. The release generally concludes with related, but less significant, information on the topic. Some practitioners place a boilerplate at the end of the release, which is a paragraph describing the organization releasing the information.

A feature release, on the other hand, presents a more attention-getting lead and develops a clear and logical story with a definite conclusion. A feature release is a human-interest story. Unlike a news release, feature releases tell a story, begin with a catchy opening called a hook, and offer a conclusion or ending to the story.

Public relations practitioners write and distribute three types of releases. An advance story announces something that will happen, such as a change in management or an upcoming event. A cover release reports something that actually happened, such as a sizable donation to a nonprofit organization, a community clean-up event, or a major management decision. Follow-up releases report the news after an event, such as the quarterly sales of a new product, the results of a research study, or the effect of policy changes. Releases have many uses. They can announce something (hires, mergers, price changes, layoffs), offer spot news (road closings, strike, school cancellations), give a reaction to something (charges against an organization, industry trends, new laws), and tell bad news (faculty products, recalls, apologies).

The factors that determine news include timeliness (or currency), impact (or something of farreaching consequence), prominence of individuals or events, proximity and local tie-in, conflict, and novelty or uniqueness.

Some media gatekeepers receive over a hundred releases in one day, and many are thrown away or not seen. Therefore, a carefully crafted news release is essential. Releases should have a strong newsworthy angle, be accurate, contain well-researched facts, present information that is truthful and balanced, and strive for objectivity. Most important, releases should be tailored to the media gatekeeper and editorial environment of the targeted publication or show. They are often used as a trigger for publicity or media coverage. Some releases are accompanied by a pitch letter and may be part of a press kit of other media-related materials.

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