Steps for writing a press release
Write in an unbiased way and stick to the facts.
Find a newsworthy angle: Ensure your news is noteworthy and interesting to the target audience.
Craft an appealing headline: Write a clear and compelling headline that conveys the value of your news to the press.
Summarise your story: Craft a single sentence summarising the press release's content and supporting the heading. Alternatively, summarise one to three bullet points relaying the most important information.
Introduce essential information: Start with your company’s city, and the date. 1 Answer the "who," "what," "when," "where," and "why" in the opening paragraph to grab the reporter's interest.
Provide supporting information and context: Follow up with testimonials, statistics, research details, and case study excerpts. Explain the relevance of your announcement to the readers. Include quotes from community and/or organisation or company spokespeople.
Lead into the reader’s next steps: Summarise the article and include a call to action or details of where to find more information.
End with your standard conclusion: Explain what your company or organisation does and why its stakeholders are experts in the relevant area.
Include contact information: Don’t forget to give as much contact information as you can. Make it easy to get hold of you.
A standard press release should contain these key elements:
- Title and italicised subheading summarising the news
- Location of the news (usually headquarters)
- Two to three paragraphs of detailed information
- Bulleted facts
- Company or organisation’s description (you can use a standard description whenever you send out a press release)
- Contact information
When sending a press release, include one of these phrases in the upper left corner to indicate when the news should be published:
- “FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE” if you want the story to go live right away.
- “HOLD FOR RELEASE UNTIL [PUT IN YOUR DATE]” if you don’t want the story made public yet. Remember to include the specific release date.
Key messages to include:
- What is happening: Clearly state the main event or announcement.
- Why it matters: Explain the significance of the event or announcement and how it benefits the audience or the public.
- What's next: Provide a brief overview of future plans or developments related to the event to maintain interest and anticipation.
Get your community involved
Is there a community-driven group or caring business in your area? A dedicated group of committed people can effectively solve local problems.
Think about starting or joining community groups like a street WhatsApp group, residents' association, or community policing forum (CPF) to get help and to stay informed and involved in local issues.
How to set up a community group
How to start a residents' association
How to set up a community policing forum
How to set up a neighbourhood watch
How to organise community action
How to use media to create pressure for change
Know your rights – how local government works
It’s important to understand how your local government works so that you can work with them to support what they are doing while your community continues to keep them accountable and deliver services on time. Remember you have a constitutional right to many of the services provided by local government, as well as to accountability and transparency, wherever you live and regardless of how much you earn. It is also where money collected from taxes and rates goes.
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