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How to write effective news briefs
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5 tipsfor writing effectivenews briefs
5 tipsfor writing effectivenews briefs
Office of Marketing & Public Relations / Sherry Fletcher
Monday, Jan. 7, 2013
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Target your audience
Know what news is
Understand 2 basis tenets of journalism
Composing a news brief
Publish once, reprint often
TODAY’S TIPS
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TIP #1
TARGET YOUR AUDIENCE
TIP #1
TARGET YOUR AUDIENCE
ASK YOURSELF
Who are you writing for?
What do they care about?
What are they facing?
What can you tell them?
Does it address the City’s mission?
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POSSIBLE AUDIENCESStillwater City Council
Administration Team
Operations Group
City of Stillwater Employees
Stillwater Residents
Media, Professional Groups, etc.
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REMEMBERAnything that is shared
by email can and will be forwarded.
Is this information ready to be shared with the all
of the possible audiences?
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TIP #2
KNOW WHATNEWS IS
TIP #2
KNOW WHATNEWS IS
What’s the point?
NEW Factual INTERESTING
Conflict CURRENT Impact
PROMINENCE Proximity
Timeliness HUMAN INTEREST
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BE USEFUL
Our readers race through the News Briefs looking
for something interesting.
Convey a sense of benefit or value.
Be specific.
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NEWS FOR EMPLOYEES
Organizational culture and value
How to get things done
Roles and responsibilities
Where to find information
Expectations
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TIP #3
UNDERSTAND2 BASIC TENETSOF JOURNALISM
TIP #3
UNDERSTAND2 BASIC TENETSOF JOURNALISM
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OBJECTIVITYExpressing or dealing with facts
or conditions as perceived without distortions by personal feelings,
prejudices or interpretations.
Let the facts speak for themselves.
Limit fluff or puffery.
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Must Have Information
Not Crucial Information
BackgroundInformation
Niceto Have
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INVERTED PYRAMID
INVERTED PYRAMIDNewsroom standard for writing.
Summarize first. Explain later.
Helps readers grasp facts quickly.
Helps writers arrange facts quickly and efficiently.
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TIP #4
COMPOSINGA NEWS BRIEF
TIP #4
COMPOSINGA NEWS BRIEF
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“I have to make this letter longer
than usual, because I lack the time to make it short.”
~ Blaise Pascal
“Not that the story need be long,
but it will take a long while to make it short.”
~ Henry David Thoreau
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3 Csof Powerful Content
BeClear
Be Concise
Be Compelling
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BeClear
• Did you answer the 5 Ws?Who, what, when, where, why and how
• Use inverted pyramid.
• Write active voice rather than passive.
• Use everyday language.
• Use strong verbs.
• Suggest subject heading One of the Ps).
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Be Concise
• Make your point and be done.
• Omit needless words. Do a word count. Go back and cut by 10 percent. Don’t take out useful information or detail; instead, remove extra words.
• Avoid redundant phrases, jargon (words only your profession uses) and clichés.
• Use adjectives, adverbs, pronouns sparingly.
• Avoid flattery and puffery. Instead, use facts to make your point.
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afford an opportunity allow, let
as a means of to
at this point in time now
due to the fact that because
during the period during
has a requirement for needs
in a timely manner quickly, promptly
in accordance with by, following, per, under
in advance of before
in regard to about, concerning,
in the event that if in the near future shortly, soon
no later than June 1 by June 1
Avoid redundant phrases4
Be Compelling
• What do you want to happen as a result of this News Brief?
• Ask yourself: “What's the point of this News Brief.”
• Be an advocate for your department or division. Use the News Briefs to further explain issues. What can you tell your audiences that they don’t know but should?
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The Stillwater Public Library family suffered a loss last week with the death of one of its strongest advocates, board member Linda Rodgers. During her tenure that began in 2007, the Library accomplished many milestones including the dedication of the Dr. Angie Debo statue; the receipt of an estimated $93,000 federal broadband grant; and the establishment of the Oklahoma Virtual Library consortium. Linda’s leadership and her support of the Library will have an impact on the Stillwater Public Library for many years. She will be missed by those who were privileged to have known and worked with her.
News Brief Sample 4
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Patty Evans, Paula Dennison and Jason Peek met with
Oklahoma Department of Transportation to review
Stillwater’s Urban Area Boundary Map. After each
census, the Federal Highway Administration proposes
adjustments to each map depicting urban areas. The
City Council will be acting on the adjusted map at
its Dec. 17 meeting. The map will be used for
transportation planning purposes until after the
next census in 2020.
News Brief Sample
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TIP #5
PUBLISH ONCE,REPRINT OFTEN
TIP #5
PUBLISH ONCE,REPRINT OFTEN
Media Releases Web Pages
Video/YouTube Facebook/Twitter
PowerPoints/SlideShare Utility Newsletter
Public Presentations Blog Topics
Interviews with Media Print Materials
Public Presentations Intranet
OPPORTUNITIES5
AND REMEMBER…
Don’t be afraidto break the rules.
Communications is art,
not science.
•How often to publish?
Bi-weekly? Once a month?
•How many briefs from your
department? Are all divisions
represented?
•Other improvements?
Discussion Topics
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