Press Release & Media Guide
Best Practices & Things to Think About Before Submitting a Press Release/Public Service Announcement
Prepare any documents such as posters, fliers, and images beforehand.
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- It is good to have the copies of each in a PDF and an image format such as jpg and png files types. Include the full text of your news release in the form, not just as a PDF attachment. This will allow the media to copy and paste and saves them work.
Create an engaging headline and first paragraph, but avoid overly descriptive, flowery language that may cause your basic information to get lost.
Make sure you include the following information in the body of your news release/PSA:
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- Who
- What
- Where
- When (be sure you include the date, not just the day of the week)
- How
- Why
Assume the reader knows nothing about your event when writing your news release.
List a contact person, and include contact information in the text of your PSA.
Proofread carefully.
- Have another person review the news release to catch any typos, misspellings and other errors.
- Use spelling and grammar check in your word processor, or ask ChatGPT/AI to proofread for you.
Remember: Submitting a press release/PSA does not guarantee publication.
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- News staff takes into consideration timeliness of the event in helping determine which news releases are published first, not the order of being received. Air time and space availability are also considerations.
Consider purchasing advertising if your budget allows. This is a good way to ensure your event info gets out to the community and it also supports our local media.
Helpful Links on How To Write a News Release or Public Service Announcement
How to Write a Public Service Announcement (radio/TV), from The Word Factory
How to Write a Press Release Which Gets Results in 2023, from JustReachOut.io
Ready to send your news? Use our Submit a News Release tool to reach all of our local media!