A press release is a brief communication - two pages at most - providing newsworthy information or feature story ideas to the news media. Press releases are written in journalistic style. Feel free to download these sample press releases to use as starting points, or use the following advice:

Why Issue a Press Release?

Press releases are used for several purposes. Generally, a press release should contain news or a feature angle. But since most newspapers use press releases simply as tip sheets, on occasion you can issue a press release to raise awareness about a topic or event. Consider issuing a press release if:

• You have obtained proclamations on behalf of electronic payments or Direct Deposit/Direct Payment Month from one or more government officials.
• You have creative events or activities planned for your electronic payments promotion that you believe warrant coverage by the local news media.
• You have a human-interest angle, such as a story of how employees got paid via Direct Deposit during times of local weather or other crises in your community or at your place of employment.
• You have a consumer interest angle, such as how using Direct Payment can help maintain credit rating/score(s).

Do Not Issue a Press Release If…

If you want to alert your local media to an event or if you would like to offer one of your spokespeople for an interview, do not issue a press release. Instead, to invite media to an event, issue a press advisory listing the date, time, location, topic and name of the spokesperson. To offer a spokesperson to a newspaper or radio station, call the news outlet and speak to the reporter, assignment editor or booker.

When to Send out a Press Release

If you decide to issue a press release, send it to your local newspapers and radio stations. Be sure to provide a telephone number so that the news organization can contact you with questions or requests.

After sending the press release, it is okay to telephone the reporter to follow up.

Tips for Better Press Releases

For professional press releases, follow these tips:

• Limit the lead paragraph (and all paragraphs) to 20 words or fewer. Short paragraphs are easier to read than long ones. Short paragraphs make it more likely that a reporter or editor will actually look at your release. Most people will skip long paragraphs.
• Use the second paragraph for any important information did not fit into the lead paragraph.
• Use the third paragraph for a quotation from your spokesperson. The quotation should articulate your key message.
• Use block format rather than indented paragraphs. Block format forces you to skip a line between paragraphs, making the document easier to read. Single space.
• Use a catchy headline. If the headline is two lines long, divide it evenly between top and bottom lines (do not split infinitives). Do not have most of the headline on one line with just a word or two on the bottom line. Use active voice in all headlines.
• Skip a couple lines above and below the headline and contact information to increase white space. This contributes to readability.
• Keep the length under two pages. Never issue a three-page news release.

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