Just the Facts Ma'am, Just the Facts

There was the classic TV Show and more recently the movie, “Dragnet”. The main character, Sergeant Joe Friday, was known for the quotation, “Just the facts ma’am, just the facts.” He would let a witness to a crime tell their story with all their emotion and commentary on what they believed happened. After a few minutes of listening to this extraneous information, Joe would interject his most famous line of dialogue, “Just the facts ma’am, just the facts.” As with Sergeant Friday, journalists are most interested in the facts you present in your press release.

The facts are the deciding factor as to whether or not a press release is published. Your press release is only successful if newspapers and magazines publish stories or broadcasters broadcast information based upon receiving and reading your press release.

Because newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations receive hundreds of Press Releases a day, they don’t have time to read creative writing pieces. They are most interested in releases that give them facts that are going to be of interest to the public masses.

journalists are looking for NEWS. They decide which press release will be made public not based on how cleverly it is written; how many words it contains or if it contains the most persuasive point of view of all the press releases received that day.

They are the gatekeeper of the news based upon the facts they read in your press release. You will need an attention grabbing headline so they will keep reading. You want to summarize your facts in the first paragraph so the reader can see your information quickly. You must include your contact information at the beginning and at the end of the press release so they easily know how to reach you in the event they have questions or they want to interview you. Be sure the information is concise, clear and interesting.

When deciding to use a Press Release to announce your next big product; your upcoming book; or your new location, remember the key to success is having the Press Release picked up by your distribution (newspapers, magazines, radio or television). The way you ensure your press release is used by the media is to remember Joe Friday’s mantra, “Just the facts ma’am, just the facts.”