Homework for writing proposal, press release, and presentation

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HowtoWritethePressRelease.pdf

How to Write the Press Release ENGL 2311 Audience and Purpose Organizations that have something to announce, like a new program or event, write press releases to announce the information to the public and generate publicity. Before the internet enabled companies to establish a web presence, they sent these documents to news outlets and relied on newspapers to report the information in the press release. Today, many organizations post press releases to their own social media pages and websites to promote their activities. Organizations rely on press releases to market themselves, and reporters rely on press releases to help them stay informed about programs and events that might interest their readers. In the proposal, you were writing to a company, organization, or group and asking them to approve or fund your project idea. In the press release, you are writing as the company, organization, or group. This means you must make new considerations about audience and purpose to compose the press release. While the audience isn’t everyone within a given community, it is written to a broad audience of potentially interested community members. For example, if my proposal is asking TCC administration to expand food options on campus, my press release imagines that TCC approved this proposal. TCC would then write the press release that tells people they are expanding food options on campus. Examples Use the resource links in this folder to read through several press releases. There are links to press release pages for TCC, JPS Health Network, and Lockheed Martin. Examine tone and style. Think about word choice and the arrangement of the information presented. Format and Style Because press releases are similar to news articles, your press release should follow basic principles of news writing. That means:

• Start with a descriptive headline – “TCC to Expand Food Options on Campus” • Use third person and stay neutral – Instead of “We are expanding food options,” say,

“TCC is expanding food options.” Describe who, what, where, when, why, and how, but avoid biased or subjective language.

• Get to the point – the first sentence should explicitly state the “what.” Everything after that is supporting information.

• Include data – if you used data in your proposal to persuade your audience to act, that information could be relevant to the press release audience.

• Use quotes – Keep these relevant, but you can make them up. For example: According to TCC student Idris Elba, “there were not enough food options on campus, so I am glad we will have more choices without leaving campus.”

• Edit more than once – Organizations want their press releases to be widely read. It is crucial to adhere to Standard Written English and double check these documents for errors.

Companies and organizations may have specific formats for their own press releases. However, most press releases contain the following components. Your press release should look like this: Name of Company Contact Person (find this information online or make it up.) Company name Email address Phone number Website Title in bold (make it active—“TCC Expands Food Options, Creates Food Truck Park”) City, State, Month Day, Year – First paragraph begins here. Summarize the project and include a clear statement of the “what.” Remember, this document assumes the proposal audience has approved your idea. Maintain a neutral, third person tone throughout the document. Press releases are like news stories, so avoid explanations and descriptions that sound like opinions. You can include quotes from people if you would like to include commentary. Additional paragraphs should detail the remaining who, what, where, when, why information not presented in the first paragraph. However, be careful not to go overboard. A press release should be a short, easily digested document that highlights the important information and explains the project. Consult the resource links to read real press releases. About Company/Organization in bold (optional) This section is called the boilerplate. It is an optional, generic paragraph a company or organization might attach at the bottom of a press release that describes who they are. You should know what this is, but you are not required to include this in your own document. Some companies include these, and some do not.