Editors use only a small percentage of all releases that they receive. Thus applying news judgment is vital to generating coverage. If you find truly newsworthy events and draw them to the attention of the news media in well-written news releases, you and your organization will gain credibility. If, instead, you flood newsrooms with releases about insignificant events, your credibility will suffer, and journalists will be less likely to pay attention to your material in the future.

In the US a study found that news releases that had high acceptance rates compared with others were written in a simpler style, dealt with topics that were interesting to their audience, and focused primarily on the following types of stories: topics in the news, research findings, coming events, and consumer information (43).

Because most journalists are under deadline, they favor releases that are well written and so need little work on their part. A news release should be both concise and complete, emphasizing conclusions (45). Provide a strong lead and use the "inverted pyramid" form that journalists use in their own news stories. Use simple, direct language, not jargon. Journalists and their readers are not experts in family planning, health care, or population. Most will not know the meaning of such terms as "total fertility rate," "focus-group discussions," and "contraceptive prevalence. Either explain such terms or use terms that readers will understand.

Do not be surprised, however, if your release is not printed exactly as you wrote it. While editors sometimes run a story as received, more often than not they rewrite it, add to it, cut it, or use it as part of a bigger story (26).

Appearance and distribution. What you have to say in your release and how you say it are most important, but the appearance and distribution of a press release also affect acceptance. For professional appearance, follow these guidelines (67):

• Type all news releases. Use standard paper. Double-space the lines and leave margins wide enough to allow editors space to write.
• In the upper left corner on page 1, list your organization name, address, telephone number, a name (most likely, yours) as a contact for further information, and the date that the material may be released. Write "For Immediate Release" if the information may be used immediately, but also note the date of the release.
• While you should not expect to write a headline for the newspaper—since editors write headlines to fit the space available—you can write a headline to attract the editor's attention.
• Keep the copy clean. Do not send news releases filled with erasures, words crossed out, or other signs of sloppiness.
• If your article takes more than one page, write "more" at the bottom of the page. On each succeeding page, write your organization name and the page number in the upper left corner. Indicate the end of the story by typing the symbol "#" or the word "end" after the last line.
• Include a short paragraph that describes your organization at the end of the release. Journalists often insert this information into the story.

Here are some tips on distributing news releases (10, 19, 45):

• Send the news release to all news media outlets at the same time. This gives all interested journalists an equal chance to cover the story.
• Send the release to reporters who cover your area and to assignment editors and other "gatekeepers" who decide on or help determine what will be covered.
• If you send the news release to more than one person per news outlet, either write all of their names on the front of the release or attach a short cover note.
• If possible and appropriate, also include black-and-white glossy photographs for newspapers, audio tapes for radio stations, and video tapes for television. Identify the people and the situation portrayed. Because these materials can be expensive, it may be best to telephone first and ask whether the newspaper or station is interested.
• After you send your news release, it is a good idea to make a brief follow-up phone call to be sure that the journalist has received it and to answer questions about it.
• Consider hand-delivering the news release so that you can meet the journalist in person. Call in advance to set up an appointment. If the reporter is on deadline, offer to call back later.
• Keep copies of every news release or feature story that you write. Compare your news release with the printed version to learn how to write better news releases.
• Send copies to the news desks of wire services and other news services for regional, national, or international use—unless the story is of local interest only.
• Also send copies directly to policy makers and your colleagues. This will keep them informed of news and aware of your efforts even if stories do not appear in the news.