Assignment 2: Media Release

Your second assignment for this paper is due Sept 14 (both hard copy and soft copy should be submitted. The soft copy should be submitted via

the assignment dropbox on Stream and the hard copy has to be submitted in the beginning of the class on Sept 14).  It requires you to develop

a newsworthy angle (frame) suited to the client’s media goals, and write a one-page media release in accepted journalistic style that applies

that frame in a way that is appropriate for the chosen media, its gatekeepers and audiences.
The learning outcomes being tested in this assignment are 1 and 2:
1.    Analyse the relationships between media goals, audiences, and gatekeepers and apply these to media planning.
2.    Evaluate and apply newsworthiness criteria to media writing for different genres.
Your task in this assignment is to write a one-page media release on behalf of the client.  It must be in news style, for the news section of

an appropriate press outlet (newspaper, magazine, or printed newsletter that is local to the client), and addressed to the appropriate news

editor, chief of staff, or journalist, whom you must identify by name.  (You must write a press release for this first assignment – you will

have an opportunity to write for alternative media such as broadcast or online later.  You also must write a NEWS release for this

assignment, not a feature.  News style is distinctive.)
Although this assignment may appear short (just one page) it has, like the first assignment, intensive thinking, planning, and editing

components.  Don’t leave it until the last minute!!!  You will need plenty of time to rework and polish your writing, and to think about how

this single page can balance not only meeting the ‘Client’ project’s media goals but also fitting with the expectations of audiences,

gatekeepers and news values.
Your first step should be to develop a GENUINELY newsworthy angle that could be pitched to the appropriate newspaper. Newsworthiness is

covered in depth in Week 4.  Please note; you need to identify a REAL news issue.  That means that you cannot exaggerate for effect, make

anything wildly unlikely up, speculate, or guess.  If you don’t know something and can’t uncover it through research, leave it out and try to

find another angle.  You must work with the information that is available to you, and you must be both SCRUPULOUSLY ACCURATE and realistic in

deciding on newsworthy angles.
NOTE TO ANYBODY ALREADY WORKING IN A MEDIA RELATIONS ROLE:
Please be aware that it is NOT OK to adapt and use old media releases as assignments for this paper that you have already written and

submitted to an employer as part of your job.
The style that you are asked to use in this paper (correct journalistic news style) is often not properly applied by public relations

practitioners working in industry.  Much of the media material currently put out by public relations people earns contempt or criticism from

journalists (see for example the article on this topic by Tilley and Hollings, 2008, reference in the list at end of this admin guide).
At Massey we are trying to teach you to be leaders and set high standards for the industry, not just repeat existing bad habits. Please make

sure you take the opportunity while completing this course to learn something new: write according to the assignment instructions, not your

old workplace habits.  When you start from scratch to learn the skills offered here, and thereby submit an original piece of work for this

paper, you will find that your media release skills are taken to a completely new level and your hit rate improves.

Your second step for this assignment is to master the basics of journalistic news writing, including the 25-words-or-less intro that covers

the five Ws and 1 H, and the inverted pyramid structure.  These elements are all covered in the course materials (see weeks 5 & 6 and the

following pages).  Using them will enable you to write a release that is consistently newsworthy, and presented in the way that media outlets

expect news to be presented.
You may find it helpful to follow the step-by-step instructions below.  (Please note, you must continue to use the ‘Client’ project as your

client for all assignment work in the paper this semester.  This limitation on clients serves important pedagogical and fairness reasons,

ensuring that there is an ‘equal playing field’ for all students’ work.)
1.    Thoroughly research the client need and identify a specific priority audience (who they want to talk to via the media).
2.    You may find it useful to categorise the background information you have found into a rough ‘SWOT’ analysis.  That is, group it

according to Strengths (things they’re really good at and want to promote), Weaknesses (things they’d probably prefer not to shout about),

Opportunities (new target audiences they may not have reached yet), and Threats (things that could be damaging to them if publicised without

proper context or explanation in the media).   This activity might help you determine what the appropriate media goal is, which in turn can

help you to determine (in combination with your knowledge of what the media expect) what the eventual angle for your release should be.
3.    Determine a basic goal in contacting the media.  How will media coverage help the client build on their strengths and correct their

weaknesses?  How can media coverage help develop opportunities and avoid threats?  WHY does the client need to be in the media at all?  Is it

to respond to criticism, to promote a competition or event, to correct something, or to expand their fan base? Do you want to demonstrate

their viewpoint’s relevance to current newsworthy events (by having them respond on a current issue that is already in the media but they

haven’t commented on) or position them as expert, by having them comment knowledgeably on a current issue? Each media release must have only

ONE specific objective that helps it reach this overall goal.  Write it down now.
4.    Choose a press outlet (newspaper, newsletter, or magazine) that is local to the client and that you believe would help them achieve

their goal if they obtained coverage.  It must be read by an audience that the client wants to reach.  Identify which staff member at that

press outlet a media release about the ‘client’ should be addressed to (if you can’t find that information by reading the newspaper or

visiting its website, you could make one brief, polite telephone to the newspaper switchboard and ask the operator for the name of the person

to address a media release to).  (Of course, much media relations these days does not choose press outlets at all – but for this assignment

we need to learn the basic rules of structure and news value, and writing for press is the easiest way to master these, as press writing

style and news values remain largely conventional, following the long-established principles.  As the saying goes, you need to learn the

rules before you can learn how to break them effectively!)
5.    Determine exactly WHAT the ‘Client’ wants to say to this particular audience via this media in order to achieve their GOAL, but at

the same time find a way to say it that makes it relevant to this medium.  The single message should be short, sharp, and clear.  It should

be something of outstanding interest about the ‘Client’ project which will a) help them reach their own goal but b) is also newsworthy, i.e.

valuable and interesting information for the specific readers of the newspaper.  What you are looking for is a STORY; that is, something

unusual, unique, and fascinating about the ‘Client’ project.  Perhaps this will be a human interest story; is there a particular character

associated with the ‘Client’ project who is newsworthy?  Look carefully at the criteria for newsworthiness. You MUST satisfy one of more of

these criteria.  Marketing or advertising-style information that serves the ‘Client’ project’s promotional needs but ignores the media’s

needs is not newsworthy, will not be published, and will not win you any respect from journalists.
6.    Write a news story in standard journalistic news style that enables you to meet the goal you have outlined, but also meets the needs

of the targeted medium.  Try to imagine you are the journalist or editor receiving the release; what questions would you ask about the topic?

Make sure you answer all such questions. Would you consider it of interest to your audience? Make sure that it is clear why and how that

could be so.
7.    Include appropriate quotes.  This is the one thing that you DO get to make up.  Public relations people often develop suggested

statements for public figures, which are then modified and approved by the person being quoted before submitting to the media.  You can be

creative here. However, you cannot just make up any old thing.  The quotes must be appropriate to the quoted person and must also be

newsworthy and go to the heart of the message you are trying to convey.  Quotes are strategically creative, in other words.  You can look at

existing real quotes that the ‘Client’ project has used online, but you will find it best if you don’t copy existing quotes.  Make up your

own that serve the purpose of your original news release.  The media want new quotes, not old rehashed ones.  (There will be opportunities in

class to ask for quotes, too, so make sure you attend lectures.)
8.    Format the story in standard media release style.  Use framing to draw attention to your one idea in a strong headline, support it in

a strong five Ws intro, and provide evidence and quotes in the body. Make sure all statements are attributed to a source in the body of the

sentence (this is the one and only assignment all semester where you don’t provide a references list — but it should still be plain in the

sentences you write who is saying the statement or where the information came from).
9.    Edit, check, re-check, have a friend check, have student learning centre check, and re-check your work.  It should be word perfect.
10.    Use the checklist (over the page) and the marking guide as well, to ensure you have done everything that is asked for.

Media Release Checklist: Helpful Hints and Reminders
To help you put together an excellent media release assignment, here’s a summary of the most common marking feedback (dos and don’ts) given

in the past on student media releases.  (Most of these probably won’t make sense until you are at the point in the paper where you have

learned about releases and are starting to put your assignment together, so read them at that stage.)
Do make your headline arresting.  It’s the hook to grab the journo’s attention as soon as they look at the release.
Do decide upon your frame or angle before you start writing and stick to it throughout the release.  News only tells one story at a

time.  If there are other stories to be told on other issues, put them in a separate release.
Do make sure your release looks like a release (including the words media release at the top) at first glance.
Do make sure your release is personally addressed to the correct journalist at an appropriate media outlet.
Don’t slip into advertorialism. (That’s when advertising—a paid message—is dressed up as editorial—an unpaid message.) You cannot

fill a media release with promotional marketing or advertising language singing the praises of the ‘Client’ project, and expect the media to

take you seriously.  The media need accurate, interesting, objective stories. (Read your release out loud: If it sounds like an advertising

jingle, it is.)
Do make sure you give evidence to support every claim you make. Your tone should be calm and factual, not emotive or aggressive. Cite

credible evidence to support all claims and avoid impassioned or outrageous claims.  Otherwise the media will dismiss your release as

extreme.
Don’t use adverbs and adjectives that give a subjective opinion about your client, e.g. superlatives such as “stunning”.  If your

client has won the “most stunning” award three years in a row, that is objective information and can be included, provided you state

precisely who, when, where, and how the award was won.  If you have an independent authority to quote who is a credible witness to the

quality of stunningness, that can be included.  But your personal opinion, or your client’s personal opinion (unless they are a genuine

expert) that this particular product, service, client, etc., is stunning (or beautiful, or top quality, or comfortable, or outstanding, or

cutting edge, or state-of-the-art etc., etc., etc.) is of absolutely no value to the media whatsoever and will only lose you their respect as

a media practitioner.
Do attribute, attribute, attribute.  Every piece of information or opinion included in your release must be attributed to a source.

Otherwise it is unusable for a journalist.  For example, a media release should not include a statement such as: ‘this is the first time

Ballyhoo Corporation has included free toys in its cereal bars’.  The information needs a source, so that it has credibility and so that it

can be checked for accuracy and authenticity.  For example, it is OK to write: ‘Ballyhoo Corporation managing director Carol Brown said this

was the first time Ballyhoo had included free toys in cereal bars’.  All information should have a source in this way.  There must be no

‘floating statements’ in your release – all statements must be clearly anchored to a specific person, at a specific time, in a specific

place.
Do always write Media Release at the top of the first page, and do always indicate at the bottom of each page whether there is more

to come (‘more’) or the release is finished (‘ends’).  (Even for a one-page release put ‘ends’ at the end.)
Do always put comprehensive contact details at the bottom of the last page of a media release (the more contact methods the better,

e.g. phone, fax, email, pager, website, cell phone, after hours numbers).  (For the purposes of this assignment you can put your own name and

contact details and your title as Media Liaison Officer for your client.)
Do alwaysput a person’s name as a contact, not just their title. Journalists will be happy to talk to a human, rather than a label.
Do spell people’s names right!!!!!  This golden rule applies to quoted sources, contact names, and the editor or journalist to whom

you have addressed the release.  Check, check, and re-check!
Don’t be satisfied with just a computer spell check of your work.  You also need to proofread it slowly and painstakingly by hand,

and get a colleague to check it.  Spell checks will not detect embarrassing errors like “Domination Post” or “Pubic Relations”, but you can

guarantee journalists will notice them and have a good laugh.
Do address all media releases to a person (e.g. Greg Jones), rather than just a title (e.g. Sports Editor).  You can include a title

below the name if you wish to, as long as you are sure you have it correct and current (titles change frequently within media organisations).

Make sure you spell that name correctly!
Do remember where your client is located and what the geographical boundaries of their communication goals (audience and message)

are.  There must be something geographically newsworthy for the target media.  Unless you can find a specific local connection or angle,

there is absolutely nothing newsworthy, for example, about an Auckland event for the Southland Times.  Most regional media pride themselves

on supporting regional business, and are very unlikely to give coverage to a client who competes directly with local interests or with

businesses who are likely to be local advertisers.  Remember that proximity is one of the key criteria for newsworthiness.
Do use one-sentenceparagraphs (or two at most). Use short sentences. Avoid jargon.

Marking Guide for Assignment 2:  Media Release
Outstanding = 90%; Excellent = 80%; Good = 70%; Satisfactory = 60%; NW (needs work) = below 60%
Feature    Criteria    Performance
Content  (30%)    Meets both client goal and media needs
Angle is newsworthy for chosen media
Headline is arresting & captures angle
Quotes meet client goal but are also newsworthy
All likely questions answered
All information attributed
Credible sources quoted
Avoids advertorialism
Style (25%)    Writing is clear and accurate
Correct style for medium selected
Intro contains 5 Ws and 1 H
News comes first
Intro 25 words or less
Inverted pyramid structure
Grammar & spelling correct
Short sentences
Short pars
Presentation (20%)    Personally addressed to the correct person, correctly spelled name
Identified as ‘media release’
One page, with contact details &‘ends’
Clear and uncluttered layout
Reference (10%)    Reference on a separate page
TURNITIN (15%)    Passed Turnitin Check

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