News Release Writing Guidelines
* Ensure you answer these questions: Who, What, Where, When, and Why.
* Unless you’re quoting someone, don’t editorialize with adjectives. Examples:
The guests enjoyed a wonderful meal.
This was the best event we ever had.
Everyone was thrilled at the speaker’s comments.
The speaker is the best commentator on education in the country.
* Always provide names – first AND last – of people in photo captions. The News-Journal will not run a photo with first names only.
* Don’t use courtesy titles: Mr. Smith, Mrs. Smith
* How to express time: The meeting will be held from noon to 3 p.m.
* News releases WILL BE edited, sometimes heavily.
* The lead (first) sentence should contain the most important information in the story:
“The Hoke Civitan Club named Bob Smith its Citizen of the Year Thursday.”