Writing News Releases: Who Influences You?

Whether you are in the field of public relations, media relations, crisis communications, or corporate communications, you no doubt have had to do your fair share of writing news releases and releasing statements to the media and your stakeholders. You may have even had to write a public statement specifically to release on social media.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this question… When you are writing a news release during an emerging situation or crisis, who has the most influence on how you write? Or, say you have not had to face such an emerging situation or crisis yet, who WOULD influence how you write a news release? Is it:

1. An English teacher from your past?

2. A public relations instructor?

3. A journalism professor?

4. A mentor?

 As a bonus, share with us all the best nugget of wisdom you learned from that person, and…

Is what they taught you still relevant today? Or is it time to re-think how you write?

Copy and paste this format and post your comments in the comment section below to answer the question:

The greatest influence on my news release writing style is __________. The best nugget of wisdom I learned from them was ____________. (Still relevant or time to rethink?)

Check back to see how your answers compare to your colleagues. I know I’m curious… especially about whether the writing style you were taught is still relevant today.

Crisis communications and media training expert Gerard Braud, CSP, Fellow IEC is based in New Orleans. Organizations on five continents have relied on him to write their crisis communications plans and to train their spokespeople. He is the author of “Don’t Talk to the Media Until…”

More crisis communications articles:

15 Questions to Ask Before You Use Facebook for Crisis Communications

Can You Handle a Crisis When it Hits by Winging It?

Spring Sprint for a Crisis Communications Plan