Press Releases (or media advisories) are notices sent to media outlets for the purpose of alerting them to the news you plan to make. These are extremely simple and should cover one-half to three-quarters of a page. Editors, reporters & producers are extremely busy and often only have 10 seconds to glance at your release. Be sure to include only the information they need in order to decide that they will cover your news. If they want more information, they will contact you and/or look at your website.
An effective press release should possess the following elements:
• A punchy, direct headline and lead paragraph that establishes newsworthiness with clear “hooks”
• The “Who, What, When, Where & Why” of your news, written in short sentences and paragraphs
• A clear indication of the exciting, camera-friendly visuals you have built into your event
• Contact name, office numbers, cell phone numbers & e-mail addresses for two points of contact for the event
• The ZFA logo
• The ZFA web address or a link to your online press room
• A designation of whether it is for immediate release or “embargoed” (not for public consumption until a set date)
• A boilerplate, or 3-4 sentence stock description of your organization, at the end (italicize this to set it apart)
• No jargon, acronyms or policy-speak that your target audience would not immediately understand