During all my years as a journalist, I can’t tell you how many press releases I had to bin!
Don’t let this be you!
Make sure the information you send to a newsroom is clear – either in a press release or a pitch.
Back then, I thought it was a waste of my time to read so much rubbish but what I know now, is that not everyone can write well!
These people were giving it a go, but their writing was so bad, I often couldn’t find the story in it – and so it ended up in the spike tray! *
But – never, ever, say the following things in your PR or in your email to the journalist…you’ll definitely end up being spiked!
Cutting-edge
Going the extra mile
Exclusive
Hotly-anticipated
End user
You must read this email
Trending
High profile
Eagerly-anticipated
Solutions
Value-added
Exclusive
Disruptive
Synergy
Mission
World-class
Innovative
Pushing the envelope
Life-changing
Ground-breaking
Use plain English, don’t exaggerate, tell a good and clear story and you’re halfway there.
*The spike tray is a newsroom name for bin! They’re not used any more, but it was a massive spike attached to a bit of wood and you skewered the paper on it.
