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Press release
Use the media to promote your campaign and to tackle issues that you want to change.
If you are setting up a campaign or taking action in your community, it's important to let others know what you are doing and whether they can get involved. You can get started by issuing a press release to the media - your local newspapers, websites, radio stations, community TV and the national media if you hope to get more exposure for the campaign.
A press release is an announcement or news piece send to the media so as to let people know about an event or issue.
Press release content, style and presentation:
- Start at the top of the page with all the relevant details. What the press release is about, the date, who to contact for further information and if there is a restriction on when the press release can be published. This is called an embargo and means that you send out the press details of a report, event or activity before it takes place, but state a time for publication after the event happens.
- Write a clear heading on the press release to explain what it is about.
- Keep the press release simple and aim for clarity. Use short sentences throughout.
- A good first paragraph is the key to a good press release. This paragraph should state who, what, why, where, when and how.
- Tell the story using facts, such as the number of people involved and expand on the information given in the first paragraph.
- Finish with the words “Ends” underneath the last paragraph so that the editor knows there is no more to follow.
- Send to individual correspondents. For examples: Social Affairs, News Desk, etc.
DO’S:
- Call the main phone line of each media contact on your list and ask them for the name, phone number and e-mail address of the person who covers the type of news you're dealing with.
- Stress your age. Reporters and journalists are always interested in youth driven issues and campaigns as they are different, creative and often more lively than the usual stuff they cover!
- Fax or email your press release and make a follow up call to ensure it was received.
Sample Press Release
Press Release:
31 March 2005
'Tara Motorway Approval an Act of Vandalism' -Green Group
The Heritage Group has described reports that the Government will build the M3 Motorway through the Tara-Skreen Valley as an act of vandalism.
The Group has accused the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government of ignoring the views of the National Museum and international opinion on the issue.
The Heritage Group's Environment Spokesperson Billy Meehan stated:
"If Minister Roche issues licenses for archaeological excavation along this route, he will effectively have ignored the views of the National Museum. This would be a dangerous precedent in Irish planning decisions.
Tara can not be seen in isolation from its surrounding landscape. This motorway and the massive Blundlestown Interchange will dramatically and irrevocably alter the landscape. Approving the road in its proposed location would be an act of cultural and historic vandalism.
How much of Ireland's history is this Government prepared to sacrifice on the altar of economic growth?
There is now a very real danger that litigation in the Irish Courts or in Europe will delay the Motorway for many years.
If the Local Authorities and Government had proceeded with the earlier proposals to bypass the towns along the route rather than build an entirely new motorway, traffic relief would already have been delivered.
The National Roads Authority and An Bord Pleanála should give a greater weighting to archaeological and heritage considerations in planning new roads. I believe that the Route and Corridor Selection Reports prepared for this motorway placed engineering concerns ahead of protecting heritage. This is too high a price to pay for progress".
ENDS
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Billy Meehan
087 2220000
billy@group.ie
