Creating a Press Release to Promote Your Research

Reader question: My colleagues and I recently completed a study that will impact our local community. So we’re holding a public conference to discuss the results. One of my colleagues said we should announce the conference by sending a press release to the local media. How should I go about creating a press release, and what should it include?

Expert comments:

You should first develop a list of local media outlets, including newspapers, magazines, radio stations, TV news stations and websites. That way, you’ll know where to send your press release.

The release should consist of two components: awareness and a call to action. At the top of the page, include a contact name, title and telephone number. Below that, write a heading and a subheading.

Make sure the release is no more than five paragraphs. Write it in an “inverted pyramid” format. In other words, include information in order of importance, with your conclusion or main point appearing first.

For example, in the first sentence you can state, “After months of research on lack of access to healthful foods in our county, researchers at ABC University found a link between desserts and hypertension. In light of these findings, the team will hold its first Conference on Health Disparities.”

Beneath your introductory paragraph,include the following:

• Any of the five Ws (who, what, where, when and why) you left out of the first sentence. Who (you and your colleagues), what (your research), when (now), where (your organization), and why (the need for the research; what it will mean for your community/society at large).
• A quote from a member of your team, an official from your organization, and someone affected by the research, such as a leader in your field or a person from your community.
• Titles of those mentioned and their involvement.
• Precise steps on how you obtained data.
• How the study began.

Write the press release in the simplest terms possible. Remember to avoid using technical jargon because this information is for the general public.

Expert comments from Dena Owens, media relations specialist at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, Tenn., http://www.uthsc.edu..