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Writing Effective Press Releases


Date

08 Jan 2019

Time

10:00

Location

Manchester

Details

Summary:

This one-day course offers graduates and first-jobbers in PR an opportunity to get a thorough start in understanding the dynamics of news and the best way to write a press release.
Despite regular cries of “that press release is dead”, it is invariably the first thing most journalists will ask for when PRs pitch them a story.
In a crowded media landscape with thousands of stories competing for coverage, it is vital that your release stands out from the crowd, grabbing the attention of the journalist in seconds.
This course teaches delegates to write from the perspective of the journalist so that they capture their attention, and guides them through the process of writing a release.
You’ll learn what news is, brainstorm story ideas to find the best angle and learn how to write headlines that grab the journalists’ attention.
This is a highly interactive course with lots of participation and feedback. It combines theory, discussion and brainstorming with a series of practical exercises which develop press release writing skills and provide delegates a proven toolkit to take on the challenge of press release writing.

Event Type: Classroom

Address: Citypress, Union, 2-10 Albert Square, Manchester, M2 6LW

Places available: 8

Places remaining: 4

Trainer: Ann Wright MPRCA

Image of trainer

Event Overview

The course will cover:

  • The So-What test - what makes a good story
  • How to develop your skills in story spotting and generate good ideas
  • Different types of news story
  • Targeting news stories effectively
  • The smartphone test: the importance of headlines & introductions
  • Answering the key questions: who, what, where, when and why
  • The perfect press release: basic requirements, format, structure & content
  • Top tips on how to write interesting and engaging copy
  • How to pitch your story ideas successfully
  • The importance of social media and SEO

Special Delegate Instructions

During the course, we will brainstorm story ideas and angles, so delegates are asked to come with one or two ideas or upcoming stories. They will write a press release based on these ideas. They are also asked to bring a laptop to work on. After the course, delegates will receive a copy of the training notes and a guide to the media.

Trainer

Ann Wright, MPRCA, is a media consultant with over 25 years’ experience. Her background as a journalist and TV producer means that she understands how newsrooms and journalists work – and how the demands on them impact on the role of a PR. She is an experienced trainer who has taught everyone from multinationals and SMEs to marketing and PR professionals how to write press releases, improve their media relations and handle media interviews.