Connecting with Reporters: One Size Does Not Fit All
When do you use a press release instead of a media advisory? What is the goal of a story pitch or a position statement? It is important to use the proper written format when communicating with reports. Here are some tips to help:
Press Release: Press releases are the traditional and most common form of announcing news. To be effective a press release should be about ‘breaking’ or time-sensitive news. Examples of potential breaking news stories include launching a new product or service, announcing results of a survey or study, staff and leadership changes in your organization, the expansion of your business or organization, etc. Press releases should always have a catchy headline and make a compelling case in the first paragraph.
Press Advisory: Press advisories are used to invite reporters to an event in relation to a news story. They do not provide the whole story but instead ‘tease’ reporters with enough of the story information that they are encouraged to appear at the event . A press advisory should provide answers to Who, What, Where, When, and Why. Is your announcement something that would make a good photo opportunity, such as receiving a donation in the form of a large check, a ribbon cutting ceremony, or children enjoying a sponsored program? If so include information about the visuals at the event to appeal to TV.
Reporter Pitch: When you have a good story that isn’t breaking news, consider using an email pitch. Unlike a press release, a pitch is more of a ‘letter’ to a reporter suggesting a story idea or source. One advantage to sending a pitch is that you can reserve exclusiveness for the reporter. It is best to keep your pitch short, around 2-5 paragraphs, and be sure to emphasize why your story is compelling early on in the text. If possible, offer other resources such as experts in the field, case studies, contacts, visual tools and graphics. Any way that you can make the reporter’s job easier will help get your story placed.
Position Statement: A position statement is a response to breaking news and is commonly used by advocacy groups and in political circles. Position statements should be 2-5 paragraphs and should always provide contact information for further comment. One goal of issuing a position statement is to have the text appear as part of an article or story, so write the text as a long quote from your spokesperson.
We hope these tools help you get the coverage you want; let us know how it goes once you give them a shot!
