Press
releases and statements[i] are an example of pre-prepared material, but warrant
discussion of their own due to their specific nature and frequency of output.
Press
releases/statements are essential tools of EMB media relations. These easy to use documents allow media to
run accurate and timely news. Some media
organizations will publish or broadcast a press release/statement in its
entirety, or publish large sections of it intact. This is an advantage for the EMB as it
guarantees that its message is transmitted as intended.
There
is a subtle difference between a press release and a press statement, although
organizations often use the two terms interchangeably. A press release is generally used for new
information such as an announcement or update.
Press releases are also useful for conveying information such as
statistical data, lists of candidates, or lists of polling sites. A press statement is utilized for a
reactionary statement. In other words,
if an event has taken place and an EMB wants to make a public comment on it
(such as support, or disproval), this would be done in the form of a statement.
Press
releases/statements can be distributed by a variety of means: email, hand
delivery, fax, post, or posting on the notice board of a Media Centre. They may
often accompany press conferences as a way of ensuring that detailed
information is recorded accurately. More
information is provided in Press
Conferences.
There
is a delicate balance in how often to issue press releases and statements. The
danger of too many, with little information of significance, is that the media
will lose interest and neglect to see vital information when it does finally
arrive. The danger of not enough is that the press officers will be left
constantly responding to questions. The precise balance will be a matter for an
EMB Media Relations Department. This is
an important discussion area to bring up during consultations with the media,
as they will be able to provide useful advice on the amounts of information an
EMB is putting out. See section Consultations with Media and
Relevant Stakeholders for more information.
Writing a Press Release/Statement
One
reason why it is useful to have press officers with journalism experience and
training is that authoring press releases, as well as a statement, requires an
understanding of how audiences “tune into” and consume information. Journalists
in most countries are trained to write stories in an "inverted
pyramid" style, starting with a lead paragraph that conveys the essence
and essential fact of the story, which is then developed in detail in subsequent
paragraphs. Aside from making it clear to the reader from the outset what the
story is about, this also allows an item to be cut from the bottom upwards,
without losing its essence. These are
the qualities of an effective press releases and statements as well.
Like a
good news story, a press release or statement should be presented in plain
language, not jargon. It should also be
concise and to the point. The average journalist does not necessarily have an
attention span any longer than the average newspaper reader, so it is not safe
to assume that they will read the press release come what may.
Another
significant reason for writing a press release/statement like a news story is
to have a written record. There also is a hope that it will be used directly in
a print article (online or on paper), or be read aloud on broadcast media. This
is another reason to keep the release/statement short. In poorer countries, where editors often
scramble to fill their news rolls each day, they may be grateful for a
ready-made piece of well-written copy.
[i] There are many different terms: press release, press statement, media
release, press announcement, news release, etc. Some practitioners use these
interchangeably, while others separate the uses and meanings depending on
length, content, goal and timing of the release. Here we describe two kinds –
press release and press statement – commonly used by EMBs, acknowledging that
many EMBs (and other organisations) use other terms and types.
