Public Relations Guide for Rural Housing Organizations (manual

THE BASIC TOOLS FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS WORKThe best PR opportunities are free. No large expenditures are needed for the PR tools that willbe the backbone of your work.Press ReleaseThe number one tool of PR professionals for more than forty years has been,and continues to be, the press release. It’s the standard method ofcommunicating your newsworthy announcement to relevant media, and it canresult in free publicity you could never afford to buy. (Lee 2002, 3)All journalists appreciate a press release presented in standard format, which quickly drawsattention to the one point you wish to communicate. Even if you feel that your community istoo small or your acquaintance with a reporter too personal to observe the formality of a pressrelease, it is advisable to send one.Some outlets like The Washington Post receive up to 3,000 or more press releasesa week, and they diligently peruse each and every one when properly submitted.(Lee 2002, 3)News (press) releases may be faxed, mailed, or sent via e-mail. Refer to notes on dealing withe-mail included in “The Impact of New Technology” section below.Take the time to create a basic boilerplate format that you will follow for all of your pressreleases. Use the format suggested below. This will eliminate much duplicated effort in thefuture.FormatOver the years, a standard format has developed for press releases. By sticking to that format,you can make sure you are including all the information a reporter needs to know. (See thesample in Appendix A.) The structure of a headline followed by a brief paragraph stating thenews makes it easy for an editor to scan your release (Lee 2002).- Length. One page is preferable, but it is better to have two pages using standard typeand margins than to squeeze a release into a single page by using narrow margins anda small font. Advice about single- or double-spacing varies, but if you use singlespacing, do put two lines between paragraphs. Put the press release on your letterhead.- Top of page. At the top of the first page, put “Press Release” (or “News Release”) in alarge font. Then put contact information, then a boldface, catchy, direct headline. Youcan add a sub-headline if it is relevant information.Housing Assistance Council 17