The Most Beautifully Written Press Release Does No Good if it Ends Up in the Trash

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Benjamin Disraeli wrote, “Time is precious, but truth is more precious than time.”

The qualities of time and truth can be guiding lights in writing press releases. Keep foremost in your mind that time is at a premium with most busy professionals, and especially for media personnel. They often receive hundreds of press releases a day touting this product or that service, this company or that artist. They become very discriminating at knowing immediately if they are interested or they toss it in the trash. Brevity is king. They also can detect truth from just a lot of hype. So don’t dress up your words with fancy adjectives and fluffy descriptions. Stick to the facts, M’am, Strictly the facts.

We want you to write press releases like the pros do. To inform and educate is precisely the purpose of our newsletter. We also want to give you other points of view from successful communicators. This issue’s expert is a featured columnist, editor and journalist with worldwide Knight Ridder Newspapers.

Interview with Howard Cohen, journalist/editor, Knight Ridder Newspapers

Question: In your opinion, what is the one thing that really separates the good press releases from the mediocre ones?

Answer: Who, What, Where, When and Why should be answered at the top of the release before a long-winded sales pitch. Don’t leave out pertinent information such as phone numbers and names. You’d be surprised how many do. I don’t have time to call and ask so they just don’t get any press.

Question: How long do you feel a press release should be?

Answer: One page.

Question: The current wisdom seems to be that if it can’t be said in one page, it’s not a good press release. Do you concur with that?

Answer: Yes, unless I ask for more. For example, I may want extra information if I can’t get a personal interview.

Question: As most editors are extremely busy, how far into the press release do you actually read before you feel it’s something that may be of interest?

Answer: (laugh) A quarter, maybe. I scan it until I see what it’s about. The lead needs to hook me.

Question: If you like what you read, how do you prefer to get in touch with the contact person?

Answer: Telephone first and Email second. In the newspaper business, we look for speed.

Question: If there is one thing that should be avoided in press release writing, what would that be?

Answer: Overly flowery descriptions. Too many adjectives.

Question: If you had to sum it up, what do you think is most important overall in press release writing?”

Answer: Keep it Simple, Stupid. Sell the subject in as few words as possible and make sure you have all the legitimate information.