Let’s talk about grammar and few other things that count as far as journalists are concerned. There seems to be some confusion about the subject of what’s important with press releases and what isn’t.
I wanted to be sure my info was up-to-date, so I called a few acquaintances that are either broadcast or print journalists now. Admittedly, I was also curious.
If this revenue stream was a priority with me, I would think twice about giving the info anyway. I still may fold it into a product, but the basic information is here for everyone to read.
It can definitely be argued that even this raw information would carry a hefty price tag. Few writing pros know all of this stuff.
The value of this information is that the intelligence is not hearsay or conjecture. The data is also very current (today) and immediately usable to gain a competitive advantage.
I specifically asked these 3 working journalists what their priorities and expectations were with press releases. Even though my business has no special focus on preparing these documents, I wanted to know what their expectations were anyway.
Not surprisingly, the responses were nearly identical for all 3 journalists. Most of this information was already known, but I did hear a couple of things that were important to hear again.
The information was obtained in a simple, informal Q&A teleconference.
It is not in any particular order or priority.
This is what they want:
A current, factual account or retelling
Key information within the first three paragraphs
Good titles that don’t go “over the top” (subjective)
Content that supports the title and vice-versa
No repeated mentions in an effort to drop the name of person or product
Omission of flowery language including the use of:
- too many nouns
- too few verbs
- too many breathless adjectives
- too many fancy or misapplied words that people don’t use
Submissions in the correct market
Submissions for topics they deal with
Some knowledge about the company or person being submitted
Excellent spelling and very good grammar
Proper use of English language (not necessarily perfect)
Accurate personal or company contact data to verify information
Simple, brief, easy-to-read presentations (1-2 pages max.)
These are simple things they especially like:
Exclusivity of the information
Correct details including the date of occurrence
Resources used (people and companies)
Receiving the release within the body of the email AND as an attachment
Both high- and low-resolution photos when necessary (faster access or better quality)
When possible – know a little about them and their specialized needs
What they DO NOT want:
Previously published stories
Blatant self-promotion
Promotional jargon
Meaningless rambling
Calling to get permission to submit or to follow-up on a submission
Flashy presentations – no colors, HTML, wild or bright stationary or clever use of software
Documents on subjects they don’t deal with or without warning
Mention of a product or person in the subject line
Locked PDF documents
Use of the “important” flag in email submissions
Request for acknowledgment of receipt of email (return receipt)
Contradictory information within the same piece
Offers of gifts or “incentives” – this is seriously frowned upon
I wanted to get this data up quickly and I am aware that it isn’t pretty or written to my usual standards. Some of it is redundant and I would rather write it twice or three times rather than miss a key point.
Although it’s hastily put together, it is accurate. I rarely sit on information like this and prefer to distribute it in a simple format rather than delay to make it look good.
Speed always works for me with intelligence like this.
It’s possible to draw a few conclusions based on this information:
It is clear that journalists prefer to be approached in a no-nonsense, straightforward way. The documents need to be written to a minimal level of expression and language.
You aren’t going to baffle them with BS. The single most important comments form the journalists lead to logical deductions about how to write and submit these:
keep things simple, to the point and accurate.
This is common sense.
The single elements which were felt strongly were relevance and brevity. The feelings were also intense when the subjects of accuracy and getting to the point were discussed.
Grammar needed to be at a professional level, but not necessarily perfect. Some punctuation marks were deemed acceptable when subjectively used and – less punctuation was preferred.
However, one misspelling and your piece could end-up deleted or in the round file on the floor. This was a major stumbling block. The feelings by all were: if you couldn’t spell correctly, your facts may not be accurate either.
So, there is a need to pay attention to some specific details of grammar and English usage.
Individually, they receive hundreds of pieces daily or more. Perhaps 5% of the submissions are used. Their various publications receive several thousand daily.
These are bright, creative and VERY busy people. They don’t have time to respond and tell you that you didn’t get it right.
The overwhelming message for writers was not to waste the time of the journalists with unnecessary fillers and fluff. Make sure your information is accurate and not already previously used in another publication.
All complained about the large number of poorly written and submitted press releases. Most are deleted before they are ever scrutinized because of glaring, simple errors in the form and at first glance.
There is room to capitalize on the mistakes of many PR submission services and individuals that fail to submit according to these simple guidelines.
Another point implied, but not directly mentioned above is that it is very easy to get your documents disqualified by being to aggressive or pushy in any aspect of the presentation. This is a very easy line to cross.
Professionally, these individuals strongly dislike being put in a position of looking inept because of work submitted to them – and mentioned it specifically.
An interesting, simple scenario was proposed in which the following proposition was made:
Would you rather receive a press release on a hot topic written in a below-average way?
- or –
Would you prefer to receive a press release about an ordinary topic written very well?
All responded that the conditions in the first statement were strongly preferred.
The names of the journalists along with their respective media groups are being withheld because they are personal acquaintances. They responded and participated as a personal favor.
Hope some of you find the information useful. This should answer most questions about what a press release needs to be and do when presented to any resource.
Have a good weekend.
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