Seven Sins of a Bad Media Release

1. It's more than five paragraphs

Less is  more when it comes to media releases. Never longer than one page and no more than five paragraphs.

2. It's simply fabulous, wonderful, marvellous, amazing......

Media releases are not commercials, so they shouldn’t read like one. Ditch the sales speak, and get rid of the hyperbole.  A media release is not a company brochure or ad so do not write it like one. It’s a news release—stick to the facts and avoid bias. That's what journalists want.

3. You focused on quantity instead of quality

Don't type up and send our media releases en masse.  Nobody is interested in a non newsworthy media release.  Only send out a release when you have genuine news.  

4. Get to the point already!

Someone should be able to know what your story is about by reading only the first paragraph of your press release. Press releases are written in the “inverted pyramid” format. This means the most important information (who, what, when, where and how) is at the top of the press release, followed by all of the minor details. Get to the point quickly, and don’t drag out your press release for three pages. 

5. A translator is required to interpret the jargon

Save the jargon for your shareholder meetings; it has no place in your press release.

6. The headline is dull

I hate to break it to you, but no one cares if you updated your website or started a new blog. Sure, you can create news from doing this, but you have to find a different angle than “XYZ Company Updates Website.” 

Find a solid news angle that focuses on some unique function of the new website that provides a tangible benefit people might be interested in. Then, craft your headline around that news angle. Be careful not to make your headline too promotional or cutesy, as it will come off like a cheap advertisement rather than a newsworthy press release. 

7. You forgot to proofread it

Without proofreading, you risk sending out a press release that’s riddled with typos and grammatical errors. Needless to say, that doesn’t exactly command respect from editors and journalists.