In this article, we will look at how to write press releases and news articles for media publicity. Articles generally come in many types, such as straight news, which conveys objective facts as they are; explanatory & feature articles, which complement straight news by exploring and analyzing a topic in depth; editorials, which present opinions on social phenomena or policy issues; and opinion pieces, in which experts write their own views.
However, most media publicity through press releases, and most of the articles we commonly see, are straight news that conveys facts, and straight news also includes briefs, which deliver the news short and fast.
Basics of article writing
The basic point to keep in mind when writing an article is that the content should be written briefly, while the message you want to convey must be clear. Also, you should not try to pack too much into a single sentence instead of breaking the content up.
You must write strictly from the reader's point of view, at the level of your audience, and write simply and kindly, assuming the reader knows nothing at all. It is often said in the media that you should write so that even a second-year middle school student can easily understand.
Based on the points above, this article looks at how to write briefs and straight news, which are mainly used in article writing.
1. Structure of the Text
Structure of press releases and news articles
Structures for writing can be divided into the inverted pyramid, which puts the core point (the lead) first; the pyramid, which systematically presents relatively long content in the order of introduction, body, and conclusion; and the mixed type (diamond type), which aims to give a vivid sense of the situation on the ground.
Considering that busy modern readers do not read articles all the way through, the inverted pyramid puts the lead, which sums up only the core of the story, at the very beginning, then lists the important facts, and then provides related additional and supplementary information.
On the other hand, when long and important content needs to be conveyed, a pyramid-style article is sometimes written, in which the text is organized in a three-part structure of introduction, body, and conclusion, much like doing a school assignment. In other words, it describes a basic introduction to the content, lists the important facts of the story, and finally moves on to the climax that the writer considers important.
The most important thing when writing the lead is the 5W1H (who, what, when, where, why, and how). Write the lead so that, as far as possible, it includes all of when, where, who, how, what, and why. After writing the lead this way first, you simply expand on its content in the body.
2. How to Write a Brief
How to write a brief for press releases & articles
Among the types of writing mentioned above, the brief is a kind of straight news that conveys objective facts. Like the lead of a straight news story, it is a short piece of about one to three sentences based on the 5W1H, intended to show readers the key point in a short moment and draw their interest.
※ Example of a brief
Who - Jojo
When - September
Where - at home
What - how to write press releases and articles
How - through a blog
Why - to help people understand publicity and article writing
★ Article
Jojo, who is active as a blogger, wrote a post in September at home on how to write press releases and articles through a blog, to help people understand publicity and article writing.
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Please note that articles usually do not include the year when it is the same year. However, when the year has changed, the year must be written.
On the same principle, press releases or articles that are distributed quickly sometimes leave out the month and write only the day when it is the same month.
3. How to Write Straight News
How to write straight news for press releases & articles
Straight news is similar to a brief in that it is based on the 5W1H, but it is longer and contains more content.
As with the inverted pyramid explained in the structure section, you first write a lead containing the core point and then elaborate, starting with the most important points, based on what went into the lead. After that, it is good to include background and interviews related to the content and, at the end, to add related examples or further explanation.
So far, we have looked at how to write briefs and straight news, which are types of press releases and articles for media publicity.
The most important thing is to write the lead based on the 5W1H. If you are not used to writing with the 5W1H, a good method is to first write down each element separately according to the 5W1H, as I did above, and then connect them. I hope this article has given you a basic understanding of press releases and news articles.
