6 common mistakes people make when sending a media release (+ how to avoid them)
You’ve written a media release. Sent it to a bunch of journalists. So why haven’t you had any interest?
I’ve been on the receiving end of thousands of media releases in my broadcasting career. And sometimes all it takes is a simple mistake or oversight on your part that results in your great story being overlooked.
All the hard work you put into writing and sending your media release - undone.
So here are the six common mistakes I’ve seen people make when sending a media release - and how you can avoid them.
1. The media contact isn’t available for interview
Nothing frustrates a journo more than having no one to interview!
If you’re going to include the name of someone to interview at the bottom of your release (and you should) then I’d encourage you to make sure they’re happy, and available, to speak with journalists.
Definitely make sure they’re not overseas and out of reach for weeks (don’t laugh, it happened).
Take this exchange I once had with someone shortly after receiving their media release:
Me: I’m calling to see if someone is available for an interview tomorrow morning?
Them: No that won't be possible, I'm sorry. Our CEO is on leave for a month.
Me: Oh that’s unfortunate timing isn’t it? So is there no one else I could talk to?
Them: No, the CEO is the only person authorised to speak to the media.
Me: Oh right…. ok….well…
Them: But all the information you need is right there in the media release. So you can go ahead and use that instead, right?
Me (and every other journalist who’s ever been in this situation) silently screaming: NOOOOOOO.
Sometimes newspapers will run a story and use quotes directly from the media release without needing to interview anyone. You might even get what’s called a ‘read’ on TV or radio news, where the basic information is read by the presenter as a very short story without quotes. But your story will be far more effective and memorable if someone from your organisation can be interviewed and included in the story.
QUICK FIX: Invest in media training for at least two people from your organisation. That way, if someone does take leave right when you need a spokesperson, there’s another media-ready member of your team capable of stepping in.
And always check that the listed media contact is prepared and available to be contacted by journalists.
2. There’s no hook
What’s a hook? And why do you need one?
A hook is what makes your story newsworthy or interesting. It grabs the attention of the journalist (and the audience) and makes them want to know more.
Remember, journos have dozens of media releases landing in their inbox each day. The stories that jump out at them will be those with a clear hook.
If you’re struggling to find the hook, try asking yourself ‘why would anyone care?’
If you’re still having trouble, perhaps it’s not a story after all? Or maybe you need to reframe it. Try workshopping it with a colleague or friend and see if anything jumps out at them.
QUICK FIX: Find a simple, catchy hook and use it as your media release’s headline, or include it in the first paragraph of your media release.
3. The event is old news
The Minister was in town last week to launch the program.
The new facility was opened yesterday.
We celebrated 25 years in business earlier this month.
Newsworthiness has a lot to do with timing. You might have something important or interesting to share but if it’s lost its timeliness then it’s probably lost its news value.
I’ve deleted more media releases than I can count because the information was already out of date by the time it landed in my inbox.
QUICK FIX: Send a media alert to let journalists know the date & time of your event, launch or announcement. Invite them to attend, and provide a range of people they can interview while they’re there. That way they can capture all the excitement of the moment, as it happens. (Just be sure to give them plenty of notice, at least a few business days).
Sometimes newsworthy events happen without forewarning, and you may not be able to let journalists know in advance. If that’s the case, send out a media release with the details as quickly as possible (ideally that same day) while it’s still timely and relevant.
If you don’t have the resources to move that fast, just put in a quick phone call to let journalists know your news. They might only need the key points and someone to interview in order to get the story rolling while it’s hot.
4. It’s not targeted
If your media release isn’t relevant to them, the journalist will hit delete. Simple as that.
A breakfast radio presenter in Dubbo isn’t likely to cover the start of the whale watching season.
A rural reporter will be keen to hear about a new apple variety. But not so interested in the new Apple watch.
Know you want to reach, and which journalists will help you reach them. That way you’ll get the best results from the time and effort you put into writing and distributing your media release.
QUICK FIX: Think carefully about who you send your media release to, and keep your contact list up to date.
Ensure your email, media release headline and/or first paragraph clearly explains why your story is relevant to that particular journalist and their audience.
5. It’s full of jargon
Sometimes when you work in a particular role or industry you forget that not everybody speaks your language!
It’s easy to use jargon or slip in acronyms that may not be widely known.
Your media release isn’t a piece of internal communication. So it needs to be easily understood. Throw in too much jargon and you risk muddling your message or alienating the journalist reading it.
They don’t have time to decipher what you mean. They need to quickly understand what you’re communicating, and work out whether it’s of interest to their audience.
Even if you’re targeting an industry publication, it’s more important to clearly communicate your story than use industry jargon.
QUICK FIX: Ask someone who works outside your field to run their eyes over your media release. Do they understand it? If not, rewrite it to make the language more accessible. Or consider using an online AI tool like Grammarly which can measure the readability of your copy.
6. No one follows up
Sending a media release is a great first step to securing media coverage of your story or event. But it is not the only step.
A polite follow up call has the potential to bring your story back from oblivion. Maybe it went to junk? Maybe your subject line wasn’t strong enough and the email was deleted without being read? Perhaps there was a breaking news story the day you sent your release, which meant your email was overlooked?
Don't assume a journalist will reply to your email or media release. And don’t assume that if you haven’t heard from them they’re not interested in your story. There are many reasons a media release might slip through the cracks, which is why follow-up is so important.
QUICK FIX: Wait 2-3 days after your initial contact and phone the journalist to check-in. Pop it in your calendar so you don’t forget. Phone calls are harder to ignore than emails, so muster up the courage and pick up the phone! Ask if they received your email, and take the opportunity to clearly explain the hook of your story and why they should cover it. If it’s a firm no, ask them why - the feedback could help you get a better result next time.
And finally, don’t give up!
Perhaps your story didn’t get a run this time, or didn’t generate the coverage you’d hoped it would. Sometimes no matter how great your media release is, it’s just not the right story at the right time. The journalist might have run a really similar story recently and can’t see a new angle. There might have been other, more pressing news items to cover. Or perhaps they were just looking for a different kind of story that day.
None of your energy is wasted.
Every time you reach out to a journalist you grow your understanding of what they’re looking for. It helps you pitch your next story in a way that resonates. And it builds valuable media relationships.
Want more advice on pitching your story to journalists? Get the StoryUp Perfect your Pitch free downloadable.
And if you’d like professional help to craft a media release, let’s chat.