Assignment:
1. Creative Proposal
Students will develop a 3-page essay proposing three separate and innovative ideas for a new recreation related product or service
2. News Release
Students will write a 2-page news release to raise awareness about their product or service. Details and the grading rubric will be distributed in class.
A news or press release is a written communication that purports to report on an event, circumstance or occurrence by a third party, and is provided to a news reader, or the media, for the purpose of promotion.
Be A Reporter, Not An Advertiser
News and Press Releases purport to report on an event, circumstance or occurrence by an independent reporter (a third person). When writing a news or press release, be that reporter and bring your content to the attention of readers as if you had no marketing agenda.
Third Person Example: "According to John Doe, the next version of Webster's Dictionary will include two new slang terms that were identified in his research as being part of ..."
Inappropriate Example: "I, John Doe, was informed that the next version of Webster's Dictionary will include two new slang terms that I identified in my research as being part of..."
Press releases are most effective when they are under 500 words, generally two to three paragraphs, preceded by a clear and attention-grabbing headline.
Remember, this content may be used by the media in their reporting, so be accurate and reasonably detailed and make sure your contact data is accurate. Also, all inclusive links must lead to information, not advertising.
Headline
Be creative and keep it to one sentence. Capitalize the first letter of all words but do not use all upper case letters. Exclamation marks ("!") conveys that your release is advertising, not news, and it's the credibility of news that generates the good publicity.
First Paragraph
Physical location (country, state, city) (month, date and year) - Begin with a strong introductory paragraph that captures the reader's attention and contains the information most relevant to your message such as the "Five W's" of (W)ho, (W)hat, (W)hen, (W)here, and (W)hy, when applicable. This paragraph should summarize the News Release such that if it was the only part seen by a reader, it would tell your entire message, and it should include a hook to get your audience interested in reading more.
The Body Of The Release
These paragraphs should contain more detailed important information, and make up the body of the release. Pick up with the information provided in your first paragraph, including quotes from key staff, customers or subject matter experts. Make sure you use correct grammar so as not to affect your credibility negatively.
As for content, make sure to keep in mind that you are writing a press release to grab the attention of readers of the media. It is very important to maintain factual accuracy, make sure you are cleared to use quotes or information about businesses, and most importantly have an angle that will appeal to readers and journalists (often by connecting your release to current events or issues). Effective releases usually utilize a strategy known as the inverted pyramid, which is written with the most important information and quotes first.
Remember: succinct and to the point works best.
The body of your release should be more than one paragraph. The final paragraph should restate and summarize the key points of your release.