Newsrooms can be an unforgiving place, with demanding hours, shrinking resources and grueling deadlines. If you have an exciting piece of news to announce, there are many ways you can make the job of a reporter much easier. There are also ways you can do the exact opposite. To make sure you stay in the good books, we’ve compiled 10 essential tips on what to do - and what not to do - when sending out your next press release.
10 essential tips to remember when sending your next press release
Media OutReach - 09 May 2023
1. Give it time
For journalists, there’s nothing worse than calls, messages and emails asking if and when your press release will be published. While the urge to follow up and ask will be strong, it could have the opposite effect. Timing is usually out of their control and can depend on several factors like breaking news or simply a backlog of unpublished articles.
2: Images help, a lot
This might sound pretty basic, but images are often just as important as the story itself. A good image will go a long way to helping you to get your story published. Not including an image slows down the publishing cycle and means you will ultimately lose control of the final product. Think carefully about the image you send and try not to include watermarks or a whopping big corporate logo. It simply won’t’ get used.
3: Don't change a thing, for me
Asking a journalist to change their story once it has been published is a major red flag, unless you have a good reason to do so. It's usually fine to ask a reporter to correct a mistake if the error is theirs, but remember journalists work long hours under heavy pressure from tight deadlines, so be kind. Do not advertise the mistake on social media. A polite email or message will suffice.
4: Be available
Contact details at the end of your press release are there for a reason. If you send out a press release, make yourself available for emails, messages or an interview for additional quotes and follow-up questions. The worst possible scenario is that you hit send and disappear when reporters have a deadline to meet.
5: Respect the exclusive
The word “exclusive” can be a confounding and overused term in today’s competitive media market. If you’re going to offer up an exclusive, make sure you stick to it. Sending out a press release in advance to a reporter is not exclusive if the news is published everywhere else 20 minutes later. If you must do this, be honest, explain why other outlets will receive the same news after you publish.
6: Do your own research
Asking reporters to do things you can do yourself isn't a good look. If you need to know your story has been published, simply check their website or the printed edition. Don't expect reporters to send you an email copy of their story after it has been published. Same goes for the PDF version.
7: Not an extension of your PR department
If you think journalists will simply republish your press release word-for-word, think again. Your key PR message might be important to you, but they won’t always fit into the house style of their publication. If you really want your key points to be included, you might want to consider guaranteed news postings from Media OutReach Newswire.
8: Don’t demand backlinks
This is a major pet peeve for reporters. Most major publications will not include backlinks in articles as a rule of thumb. If you need SEO, there are other ways to do it.
9: Support paywalls
They may be annoying and not always economical, but paywalls are a significant part of the business for most publications today - and the reason many can afford to pay great reporters. If you want your story published, why not show your support by subscribing, or at least registering.
10: Give credit where credit is due
Finally, but perhaps more importantly, remember to be appreciative. Journalists work tirelessly to put together stories and a simple “thanks” is a great way to build long-lasting media relations. You can also show your thanks by sharing their work on social media. Tagging their publication on Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook can also help generate additional exposure.