Stronger opening paragraphs in PRess releases

As I was rummaging around through Twitter this afternoon, I came across this interesting article that Bill Stoller posted on Thursday. I think this article is extremely important and relevant for public relations students, and I wish I could've read this before I took my Advanced Public Relations Writing course this winter.

Last quarter, I struggled with this aspect of my writing, and Dr. I stressed this points that are touched on by ereleases.

1. Identify the story's news hook- The article talks about how using the "announces" doesn't make a story newsworthy. As public relations practitioners, we need to clearly determine if the story is newsworthy and identify the news hook to keep the readers engaged.

2. Answer the basic details- At the beginning of the year, I tried to cram every little detail in the opening paragraphs. Not the most efficient way of developing a good lead. It's important to answer the five Ws and how. The reader doesn't need to know everything after reading the opening paragraph, he or she needs to know why he or she should care.

3. Cut the crap- Frequently you will read opening paragraphs that include flashy titles or buzzwords. As younger writers, I think we tend to incorporate buzzwords in our opening paragraphs, because we think that it gives our story more appeal and credibility. In reality, it clogs the press release, and writing becomes sensationalized.

4. Ditch the template- If every opening paragraph is identical, stories cannot be differentiated. I love how ereleases stress keep things new and fresh. I think this is crucial in keeping the readers engaged.

5.  Slash unnecessary words- As a younger preprofessional, I wrote as if to impress people. Excessive words were my thing. As much as we love two point words, they don't help in strengthening the opening paragraph of a lead. No need for clutter, just get straight to it.

I didn't realize until this year how much of an art writing as a public relations practitioner is. Every day, I learn something new and evolve into a stronger writer. Pieces like this from ereleases are essential to preprofessionals who continually need to educate themselves in becoming stronger practitioners.