1. Write Down All the Major Points About Your Event

TIPS FOR WRITING MEDIA RELEASES

1.  Write down all the major points about your event.

Include information that will get the media interested in your event, as well as the information the public needs to know.

·  Explain the WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY and HOW of your event or announcement, and do it early.

·  Highlight the benefits/achievements/positives. Explain how young people and the community will benefit from organising, participating or attending your event.

2.  Place your points in descending order from most important to least important.

Look at the points you wrote down in the first step and order them from the most important to least important. The first couple of paragraphs are the most important part of the release. It is vital to attract the journalist's interest right away. Make it easy for journalists to find the best parts of the event or announcement and structure your release so it reads similarly to how it would appear in the newspaper or newsreader's introduction. If it gets cut down to two paragraphs in the newspaper, this means the most important information survives.

3.  Write in clear, simple language.

Try to write the release in the way that you would like to see it reported:

·  Use clear, simple and economical language.

·  Avoid using jargon and phrases which may not mean anything to the reader.

·  Avoid using acronyms.

·  Make your release active and upbeat and keep the subject interesting.

4.  Find an angle or a point of difference to make your event more interesting.

If you are organising an annual event, you might think about what is different about this year's event?

5.  Find a human angle that makes the event warmer or a ‘hook’ that makes it more topical.

An example of this may be including information about a young person involved with your event.