Ministry

Tips For Writing Press Releases

By jgiroux ⋅ December 22, 2008 ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

A news release is an often-overlooked tool for spreading the word about your church and its activities. They are simple to write, and newspapers publish them at no charge to the church. Because newspapers are delivered to homes, sold on newsstands, read in libraries and other public places, and are even read online, your news release can reach a lot of potential visitors.

Unfortunately, the majority of churches and other organizations don’t know how to write acceptable news releases, and about 90 percent of all news releases end up in the recycle bin. Editors won’t spend any time trying to figure out your news release or rewriting it so that it makes sense. To use this resource successfully, you need to think and write as a journalist. Here are some key points that will insure your news releases get printed every time.

Be BriefNever go longer than two double-spaced pages. Give only the main facts.

Be Simple
Use short words, short sentences, and short paragraphs. A four-line paragraph is usually nine lines long in the narrower newspaper format. Don’t use religious jargon that might confuse or turn off people who don’t attend church.

Be Objective
The news release is no place to sermonize. Omit superlatives about the greatest singer or most famous speaker. If you must brag, use a brief direct quotation, perhaps attributed to the local church leadership.

Be TimelySend your news releases to the press at least two weeks early. Give the reporter a chance to follow up with questions.

Be ProfessionalUse your organization’s letterhead for the first page and provide a contact person’s name, phone number, and e-mail address.

Be Accurate
Double check all names, dates, and phone numbers in your news story. Computer spelling programs don’t always catch mistakes such as their/there/they’re or its/it’s.

Be Structured
Put crucial information at the beginning. Then develop the story in descending order of importance, making sure to stress who, what, where, when, why, and how (but only if relevant).

Use QuotesDirect quotes give a sense of knowing something directly from a reliable source. Editors will condense or eliminate lengthy quotations. For maximum effect, start a paragraph with a quote, then follow the first sentence with the attribution. But don’t use a quote for the opening paragraph—instead, make it a summary paragraph.

From Dr. Randy Hines.  Dr. Randy Hines teaches public relations and advertising at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. He is co-author of two writing books, The Writer’s Toolbox: A Comprehensive Guide for PR and Business Communication (2005), and Feeling at Home in God’s Family (2006).