How to … write a press release

It’s more than a century since the first press release – issued by the Pennsylvania Railroad after a fatal train crash. And while the world and the media that reports on it may have changed a little since 1906, a release remains the best way for organisations to attract the attention of journalists and producers. Before you get started, think about who might need to know what you’re up to before any release is issued. Alerting the regional organiser who looks after your branch, so they can keep national media colleagues in the loop, could help avoid any nasty surprises in future – and keep everyone happy. Writing a release isn’t rocket science, but if you want to be noticed and covered for all the right reasons, then there are a few simple guidelines. Keeping it short and snappy is a given – both for sentence length and the overall release. Go for simple rather than complicated language, save any opinion for the quote, and make sure there’s someone around to check your prose for grammatical mistakes or typos. As a general rule, watch your language. Union jargon has no place in a press release, so talk about people, employees and staff – or social workers, nurses, teaching assistants, police and community service officers or public servants – rather than ‘members’. While unions would be nowhere without their members, if you’re trying to influence the wider world, using the ‘m’ word won’t help. Journalists – and their readers and viewers –...
Source: UNISON Health and safety news - Category: Occupational Health Authors: Tags: Magazine activist communications Source Type: news