THE GOVERNMENT

Descriptive names. For government, corporate, and institutional organizations with a descriptive word in their
names, follow the practice of the organization: “Manila Doctors Hospital,” “National Teachers College.”
3. HOW TO WRITE SERIES
The highest priority of any material created and published by the government must be informing the public.
Your reader should easily find and understand information in any government release.
The guidelines for plain language (mentioned above) must apply especially to press releases. When writing a
press release, keep in mind that you must write in a way that focuses on the information or the message that you
want to convey. Remember, you are not selling something. So avoid the exaggerated language of marketing. Like
government frontline services, you are providing a service.
WRITING PRESS RELEASES
What do you write about?
The press release should read like a good news story. It reports a newsworthy event—such as a visit by
an important guest, an award conferred or received, a commemorative celebration, and a significant
accomplishment.
Avoid sending out press releases that serve little to no purpose, or do not provide additional information or
insight on a particular program or issue. Do not send press releases that, for example, inform people of an event
or a milestone best suited for internal dissemination: meetings, personnel accomplishments, etc.
Start with a good headline
A good news story begins with a good news headline. So should a press release. A good headline is short and
clear. It should contain all the important information of the story.
Start titles with meaningful keywords. Use informative and descriptive words to give readers a better sense of the
point of the article. Headlines should stand on their own, concisely providing the gist of the article it promotes.
The elimination of government jargon should begin with titles. For example: If introducing a new agency
program, don’t just provide the program title without context—explain what the program is. Obscure acronyms
should be avoided.
The following before-and-after examples of press release titles show how the revisions ensure the basic tenets
of good headline writing. Notice which information is retained in the revised title, how redundant information,
or information that is explicitly stated that can be inferred, is removed.
“DA awards P11-million worth FMR, hanging footbridge to Agusan del Sur” → “Farm-tomarket
road in Agusan completed”
“DBM launches citizen’s guide to the 2016 budget” → “Citizen’s guide to the 2016 budget
now online”
STYLE GUIDE FOR THE GOVERNMENT
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