WRITING PRESS RELEASES: TIPS FOR ROTARIANS
WHAT IS A PRESS RELEASE?
- Also known as news or media release.
- A written statement about a newsworthy event, issue or development for distribution to the media
- Written on a club’s letterhead
- Purpose: To give journalists/media information that’s new, useful, accurate, relevant and interesting
WHY SHOULD CLUBS PREPARE PRESS RELEASES?
- Ensure your message is not lost in the details or drama of an event
- Make it easier for journalists to conceptualise a story about your event
- For publication on your own platforms
- Provide accurate information about the club
ELEMENTS OF A PRESS RELEASE
Headline
- Attention-grabbing summary of the release’s key message
- Written in present tense, and presented in bold font, larger than body text
- Written after writing complete press release to get a better/concise summary
Lead
- Starts with city where release originates and date e.g., Kampala, 1 July—
- Holds the attention of the reader by concisely stating what’s new
- Communicates what is at the heart of the press release
- Does not simply repeat the headline
Body
- Answers the 5Ws and H (What, When, Where, Who, Why and How).
- The second and (sometimes) third paragraph back up the lead
- Offers background and answers contextual questions: e.g. So what? Who cares? Why does this matter? What’s at stake? Who benefits? Where is this coming from?
- A quote from a key club official adds credibility and colour and enhances reader interest
Writing
- Keep it compact i.e., avoid long sentences, paragraphs, repetition
- A press release should be no more than 2 pages long.
- Use clear and concise language
- Avoid jargon- e.g., buddy group; if you must use jargon, explain it
- Provide concrete facts – events, services, people, targets, goals, plans, projects
Standard information at the end
Information about Rotary
- Rotary brings together a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. Rotary connects 1.4 million members…Their work improves lives at both local and international levels…For more information, visit Rotary.org
- In Uganda District 9213 brings together a network of nearly 5,000 Rotarians and 2,500 Rotaractors from 129 Rotary Clubs and 124 Rotaract Clubs. For more information, visit https://rotaryd9213.org
Information about your club
- E.g Year of charter, number of members, key projects, awards, etc.
- Title for this section should be – About the Rotary Club of [Insert name]
- At the end of the section, point to your website by providing the complete URL address e.g. http://rotarynajjeera.org
- URL could appear elsewhere when using headed paper/letterhead
Contact information
- If your press release is really newsworthy, journalists will want more information or will want to interview key people associated with it.
- Provide name, phone and email address