There is, in my estimation, a large difference in sending a hard copy press release or story to the media versus electronically transmitted news. I, like most, send releases and stories about my Department almost exclusively to the media via e-mail. Less is certainly more when a media outlet reviews your materials electronically.
In writing for today’s electronic medium, key factors in developing and formatting content can be basically boiled down to what I believe are three fundamental principles or rules for electronic content.
If these rules are followed and applied to material developed for electronic distribution, content will become user friendly and messages for your department will be more effective. Based on various usability studies and writing research my three rules are:
Rule 1 – Reduce Written Content by 50 Percent
Users read content slower from a computer screen when compared to a paper based document so material prepared for electronic distribution should be reduced by as much as 50 percent when compared to a typical paper based document and the overall content should be as brief as possible
Rule 2 – Do Not Use Large Chunks of Text
In any electronic document or Web page, users do not like to scroll through documents or see large chunks of text so the average paragraph should not exceed 50 words
Rule 3 – Use Hypertext, Headings, Highlights, Bulleted Lists
Users tend to scan written material and do not read electronic content word for word so material should be developed in chunks of information with easy to find headings, highlights, bulleted list and hyperlinks.
Of the three rules outlined, the third principle, which I consider the most important aspect of writing for the electronic medium, is unfortunately the one that is overlooked the most. I recently read a study of on-line public relations documents posted for electronic distribution on Web sites and found that:
• Less than half, 43 percent, used headings or subheads in the text;
• Only 17 percent used bulleted information in the text;
• Only 14 percent contained bold highlights; and
• Hypertext was used in 34 percent of on-line documents.
The study also found that public relations material developed for electronic distribution is actually growing in size and is not being reduced as noted in rule number one. An example is that the study found that the average electronic news release contains some 568 words compared to the “rule of thumb” 500 words (two pages) for a paper based release. In addition, the study noted that the average paragraph in a news release is 55 words.
The analysis clearly shows electronic content is not being developed according to the basic rules and principles for electronic writing. It also tells us that as a profession we are reluctant to abandon our paper based bias and embrace the techniques necessary for effective electronic communications.
To see if your electronic content is user friendly, simply answer these seven questions:
The Three Fundamental Rules Test:
1. Have I used any extra words or sentences that are not necessary?
2. Is my average paragraph approximately 50 words?
3. Did I use any headings or subheads in the text?
4. Could any information be presented in a bulleted format?
5. Would the use of bold print or other highlights enhance key points?
6. Should any information be linked to other documents or websites?
7. Is my work mechanically excellent?
Also on The Fire PIO…
- Press Releases are not dead in our neck of the woods – September 15, 2010
Is this for a news release or a web page? I worked in a newspaper for eight years as a reporter and a photographer and have seen a lot of press releases via email, fax, paper, and other, improvised, materials. Some of them have been great, some not so much. When you send a press release electronically via email or through a media outlet’s web portal, many editors on the other end may use the release verbatim, or at least parts of it, if the writing is good enough. It’s less work for them to cut and paste rather than type and rewrite your work.
Ideally, press releases should have a number of good, “quotable quotes” that can push the story forward. Even if it doens’t come directly form a chief officer or offical, news media will quote the releases themselves. “According to a release from the fire department, this happened…” AP Style uses, he said, she said, all past tense. News isn’t in the present, it’s always something that has happened that is now being reported.
Facts and bulleted information is good too. The newspaper industry often calls them “fact boxes” and can be simply the “who, what, when, where” or a list of statistics or financial figures. Separating them from the body of the release shows that they are important and can tell part of the story. Editors like them because they break up the space on the printed page or the computer screen which helps prevent eyestrain when reading. The same is true for graphics or photos.
Write well and concisely. A hard to read press release can quickly find it’s way to the trash. If the information is judged newsworthy, you’ll have a reporter at your door or on the phone asking for elaboration.
That’s my two cents, having been on both sides of the proverbial fence.
Thanks Steve for your solid observations. One thing that truly irks me is when a media outlet uses a release verbatim. I can understand the use of verbatim releases when they come from the corporate sphere, but in our realm of “facts and only the facts” releases they make for boring copy.
I wish more media outlets would retool our fact based releases to make them more palatable to the public.