For every story we read or hear about in the news, there were most likely hundreds of other stories that were overlooked. What makes the difference between a company whose news is heard and a one that can't break through the information glut? Often it's a well-written, accurately targeted news release. A well-crafted press release is one of the most straightforward ways to impart company news. However, if you don't want your release to end up in the trash, you must be sure that it is designed to stand out in the crowd.

Emily Farber

Before writing your news release, consider whether your news is really newsworthy. Ask yourself, "Who will care about this news?" If the answer is "My boss, our board of directors and my sales team," use it for the company newsletter. However, if a larger audience will be interested in or benefit from your information, it may be news release-worthy. One note of caution: if your announcement seems too self-serving or self-promoting, it may be better to use it in an ad campaign, not in a press release.

So you've decided that your announcement passes the test and warrants a press release. Now you are ready to start drafting. If you are writing your first release, give yourself time. You will likely go through a number of drafts. Like everything else, it gets easier the more you practice.

• Start with the structure. Reporters are typically working on deadline and won't take the time to search through a release for the critical facts. For this reason, you will want to structure the release so that it is easy to read and makes the maximum impact. The inverted pyramid is typically the way to go: the broadest information - the bottom line - is included first, then as the release continues, details and minutiae follow, in descending order of importance. The first paragraph-ideally, the first sentence (the "lead") - should include the who, what, why, where, when and how. Read any hard news story and you'll understand the inverted pyramid.

• Be direct. When imparting your information, do so directly. Don't use jargon or hyperbole. Save the superlatives for your ads, newsletter or company speech.

• Stick to the facts - but use quotes to include opinions and sound bytes. A news release should only include facts, not biased opinions about your organization. There is, however, an acceptable place to include opinions: the quote. If you can get a third party (customer, investor, analyst or other objective person) to provide a quote that supports your news, you can include some adjectives. If not, you can quote your CEO or other company official. Reporters and PR people alike know quotes are sometimes manufactured. If, because of time or other constraints, you must draft the quote, think of it as a written sound byte that adds to the release and is worth repeating. And make sure that whomever you are quoting approves his or her statement, is aware that it's going out and is available for further comment once the release has been distributed.

• At all costs, make sure your release is well written. Poor grammar and errors in a press release can ruin your credibility and cast your company in a negative light. Check carefully for typos, grammatical problems or inaccuracies and use a tight writing style. Be succinct. Double-check facts and figures and provide your information in a widely known editorial style. The "Associated Press Stylebook" or Strunk and White's "Elements of Style" are good choices. Make one of these books your press release bible. There are commandments for everything from using numerals to capitalizing titles-it's important to follow them. If possible, have someone else review the release or even read it aloud to you as a final check.
• Details, details, details. Don't overlook the details. Make sure your headline is accurate and attention-grabbing. Check that your dateline is correct and timely, your contact information is included, page breaks and ending are clearly denoted (with "more" and "###", respectively), and lines are at least one-and-a-half spaced. If your release looks professional, there's a better chance that a reporter will read it.

Finally, make sure you're sending the release to the right person, spell his or her name correctly, and make sure you're sending it via the appropriate distribution method. Snail mail can be fine for a monthly publication, but if you are sending a release to a daily paper, fax or e-mail it. Find out reporters' preferences for receiving news and then honor them. This information can be found through media database services (such as MediaMap or PressAccess), on the publication's Web site or by calling the reporter and asking for their preferences. Which leads us to how (or how not) to follow up to your press release. But that's another topic. For now, provide timely, newsworthy information and hopefully your stories will sell themselves.

Emily Farber is an account director at The Castle Group, a Boston-based public relations and events management agency, where she is responsible for the strategic direction and management of public relations accounts. She has more than 10 years of experience in PR, marketing and advertising. Contact Emily at efarber@thecastlegrp.com or 617-227-0012.