Public RelationsPublic Relations

What is Public Relations?

Public relations (PR) works to create a positive image of your organization in the media.

How does Public Relations work?

Activity

Press Release

Article

Publicity!

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Media Selection

• Find out what publications your target market reads and which stations they watch or listen to.

• Call your media selections to ask for contact names and deadlines for submitting releases.

• Keep this information along with the fax number, email address and mailing address in a database or file.

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Writing A Press ReleaseThe most common way to communicate with the media is to issue a press release. Press releases provide the reporter with all the basic information about your news announcement. Consider issuing releases for the following:

•Special activities•Charitable events•Fundraisers•Competition recognition

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• Only report on “newsworthy” information

• Use the inverted triangle

Writing A Press Release

Most important information first!

Second most important,

and so on…

USE AN INVERTED TRIANGLE

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Release date. Write "For immediate release" or "Hold for release."

Contact information. Include your spokesperson's name, (generally you or your president), organization, and telephone number.

Headline or subhead. Keep headlines simple. Look at headlines in your target media and copy their style.

Dateline. Include location and date.

Writing A Press ReleaseINCLUDE THE FOLLOWING COMPONENTS:

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• Body. The lead paragraph answers the five Ws: who, what, when, where, and why. Keep the lead factual and concise. Additional paragraphs round out the release with more detail, again placing information in descending order of importance.

Writing A Press Release

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Writing A Press Release• Finally, conclude the release with the

boilerplate, a standard paragraph that describes your organization. Use a boilerplate on all releases to present your organization consistently

EX. DECA, a national association of marketing education students, provides members with educational and leadership development activities to merge with the education classroom instructional program. DECA chapters attract students who are interested in preparing for entrepreneurial, marketing or management careers.

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Now, it’s your turn!

Practice writing a press release of your own!

Public Relations Workshop