E-mailing News Releases

A new client of mine asked if I needed his letterhead for the news releases I was writing. I said having a few sheets available in case I needed it would be helpful. But, I added, the vast majority of news releases I send these days are done via e-mail. Among most newspaper, radio and television journalists, e-mail has become the preferred method for receiving news releases. I may occasionally fax a news release, but I haven't put one in the standard mail in a very long time.

Embedded News Releases Only

Do not send a news release as an attached file. This is a most important point to follow. Reporters consider attached documents a nuisance and most won't open them. Plus, spam filters may prevent your message from getting to its intended target. Also, when e-mailing an embedded news release, don't bother including "For Immediate Release." You also don't need to type the date at the top, because e-mail includes the date.

Subject Line As the Headlline

Do not write the words "news release" in the e-mail subject line. This won't get anybody's attention. Think of the subject line as a mini headline. The phrase in the subject line should be catchy and indicate what the news release is about. Your objective is to get the reporter or editor interested in reading the message.