HOW TO WRITE AN EFFECTIVE NEWS RELEASE IN AP STYLE
The first step in writing an effective news release is to make sure it announces newsworthy
information that is interesting and easy for a journalist or reader to scan and share. What
constitutes “newsworthy”? Use this checklist as a guide to ensure success:
NEWSWORTHY CHECKLIST
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Is your news story or announcement Compelling?
Is it Relevant to your target audience?
Is it Timely? It’s best to issue a news release before or immediately following an event.
Is it Directional? I.e. does it include a Call to Action?
Is it Formatted for Scanning (i.e. easy to find key information)?
Is it Easy to Share (i.e. catchy headline, not too long, interesting topic)?
Is it Visual? The most successful news releases often include photos or video links.
Is it plugged into Social Media? Post to your Facebook page for maximum distribution.
Is it Distributed to all the right media channels?
NEWS RELEASE STRUCTURE
An effective news release includes four key components - the head, the lead, the body and
the boilerplate – and should strictly adhere to Associated Press (AP) style guidelines. The
following provides more detail on both formatting and AP style. To view a fully formatted
sample news release, click on the link contained in the Promote Saline Marketing Toolkit at
www.salinecqc.org under Press Materials.
I.
The Head
NEWS – For Immediate Release
Contact:
Insert PR Contact’s Name and Phone # and email (if desired) here
News Release Title (insert brief, action-oriented statement)
Subhead Goes Here in Italics
II.
The Lead
The introductory paragraph, or the “lead,” is the most important part of the news
release, as it will determine whether or not a journalist will read on to learn more
about your news story. The lead should start with a dateline, including the city, state
and date the release was issued to the media, as follows:
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2 SALINE, Mich., (Nov. 14, 2013) – The lead should state the objective of your news
release, as well as briefly answer all of the important questions, referred to as the
five Ws: What? Why? Who? When? Where? It also illustrates another basic rule on
the sequence of listing time and place, which is called TDP: time, date, place.
III.
The Body
Expand upon the five Ws in the body copy. Once you have a reporter's attention, you
need to deliver the pay off. In other words, make sure you give the editor all the
information he or she needs to write a full story. Because of their tight deadlines,
editors don't have time to dig deep. Be aware, however, journalists may not take time
to read overly long news releases. It’s best to try to keep your story to one page or a
page and a half maximum whenever possible.
IV.
The Boilerplate
Once you have provided all of the pertinent information about the subject of your
news release, you should conclude every release with a standard boilerplate
paragraph that conveys your key message consistently. The repetition of this
message helps to develop and reinforce your brand’s personality and image over
time, and helps ensure that journalists are always left with your consistent, key
talking points as the last thing they read.
When writing a news release about something happening in Saline, we highly
encourage you to use the following boilerplate paragraph to conclude your release
and convey the desired “big picture” brand message about the community of Saline:
Strong community engagement, nationally ranked schools, rich cultural and
recreational opportunities, a thriving downtown setting, and proximity to big-city
amenities - they all contribute to a high quality of life in Saline. This vibrant
community in southeastern Michigan blends historic small-town charm with leadingedge opportunities. Over the last 10 years, CNN/Money Magazine has recognized
Saline three times as one of America’s Top 100 Best Places to Live. Bloomberg
BusinessWeek named Saline The Best Place to Raise Kids in Michigan in 2013.
And Newsweek/The Daily Beast ranked Saline High School among the Top 300 Best
High Schools in the Nation in 2011 and 2013. Visit us in Saline and discover why “It’s
Good To Be Here!”
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For more information on the Promote Saline Marketing Toolkit, contact JenMotion
Marketing at jweaver@JenMotion.net.
You can also add an additional sentence or boilerplate paragraph that specifically
addresses your particular company or organization etc. if desired.
V2-11/13 3 As indicated in the blue box on the preceding page, the symbol ### signals the end of the
official news release. If you want to include any URL links, etc. for more information, they can
be written into a brief sentence or two following the ###.
AP STYLE GUIDELINES
In order for your news release to be taken seriously by journalists, it should be written according
to the Associated Press (AP) style guidelines. Here are a few of the key parameters of AP style:
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The dateline, as mentioned above, is industry standard. Note the abbreviation for
Michigan (Mich.); this is because AP style has its own system of state name
abbreviations, and dictates that these abbreviations be used whenever a city and state
are referenced together, e.g. Saline, Mich. If a state name stands alone, no abbreviation
is used. A full list of AP style state abbreviations and other guidelines can be found here.
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You should also abbreviate months that are longer than five letters: Jan., Feb., Aug.,
Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec. Spell out March, April, May, June and July. For addresses,
abbreviate Street (St.), Avenue (Ave.), and Boulevard (Blvd.). However, don’t abbreviate
Court, Drive, Lane, Way, etc.
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Spell out numbers one through nine. For any number greater than nine, use a numeral,
like “10.” Always place periods and commas within quotation marks, as seen in the
previous sentence.
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Use full names and titles only the first time an individual is mentioned in a press release.
The first instance of a name might be listed as County Commissioner Jane Smith, but
further instances will refer to the individual simply as Smith. The same holds true with a
frequently repeated word or phrase with an acronym, such as Coalition for a Quality
Community (CQC). The first reference should spell out the full name, while subsequent
references can refer simply to the acronym CQC.
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There are no double-spaces in AP Style – not after sentence breaks nor anywhere else.
Also, Oxford commas are not used in AP Style. Oxford commas precede the word “and”
in written lists, as in Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors. In AP Style, this list
should be written as Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors.
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If your news release continues onto a second page, use (More…) at the bottom of the
first page. Use # # # at the end of your news release, following the boilerplate
paragraph, to signify the end of the release.
By following these steps and adhering closely to the established Associated Press guidelines for
journalistic writing, you greatly increase your chances of having your news story picked up by
the media. A new AP Style Guide is published nearly every year, and it would make a wise
investment for anyone who is frequently charged with corporate communications and media
relations. Copies can be purchased at www.apstylebook.com or www.amazon.com.
For more information on any element of the Promote Saline Marketing Toolkit, contact Jennifer
Weaver at JenMotion Marketing: jweaver@JenMotion.net.
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