Basic: How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
Capt Steven SolomonSoutheast Region DPAMember,
National PA Advisory Committee PAO
AcademyKissimmee, Fla.5 Aug. 2008

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
This is an introductory course for new and entry-
level PAOs.

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
Throughout this Power Point I've placed
noteworthy comments(in red) that were given to
me by several of my old friends and colleagues
especially for this presentation.

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?

• You can find a local angle on practically any
  story.
  -- Ed Buice, PAO, NCIS

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
A show of hands, please How many Master-rated
PAOs are in the room? How about Senior-rated
PAOs? Any Technician-level PAOs?

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
This seminar is for the new PAO who has never
written a news release or the PAO with a little
bit of experience who would like to confirm that
they are on the right track. Can you
recognize what is newsworthy about your wing or
squadron? Do you know how to use the AP
Stylebook? Are your first few sentences
compelling enough to grab the readers attention
from beginning to end? Did you double check your
facts? Did everyone quoted or referenced in your
story have a chance to review it for accuracy?

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
First, who in the CAP unit is responsible for
public affairs?

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
Each unit commander shall appoint a qualified
individual to be the PAO...The commander and the
PAO, as the commanders delegate, are the
official spokespersons for their unit. --CAPR
190-1

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
And who can tell me the definition of public
affairs and/or what a CAP PAO does?

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
PAOs shall develop standard plans and procedures
for external promotion of key events in the unit,
such as participation in training and actual
missions, awards and promotions, and special unit
activities.
--CAPR 190-1

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
Every squadron needs a PAO. And, it is not a bad
idea to also appoint a Cadet PAO too! THE old
CAP Guide to Public Affairs, CAP Pamphlet 190-1,
actually said that squadrons could also have
a Deputy PAO Media Relations Officer
Photographer/Videographer Newsletter Editor
Legislative Officer Its a rare squadron
commander who has the personnel for all these
positions, but the bottom line is that unless the
commander is willing to take all this on him or
her self, someone has to be tapped for the PAO
position!

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
PAOs shall regularly submit news advisories and
releases, with photographs whenever
possible... CAPR190-14 June 2007

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
There are several types of written
messages News releases, fact sheets,
advisories, emergency alerts, backgrounders, and
statements are all different forms of
communication and should not be confused with
each other.

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?

• What can I write about?
• What should be included in every press release?
• How do I write a press release is there a
  typical format?
• What about style, grammar, and punctuation?
• Abbreviations and capitalization?
• When do I need special letterhead?
• Who should be listed for more information?
• Distribution?

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
Give me some examples of what a unit PAO can
write about...

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
The answer is write about the ordinary!

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
Because if you're waiting for someone in your
unit to win the Silver Medal of Valor before
writing a news release you'd better be prepared
for a long wait!

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for
CAP?What you can write about

• Introduce new members
• Promotions and awards
• Training opportunities
• Emergency services
• Squadron activities (senior and cadet)?
• New regulations and supplements
• Calendar of upcoming events

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
But please, stick to just one subject. It is more
effective to feature a single subject rather than
peppering your write up with numerous topics.

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
Anticipate what will be news.
-- Ed Buice, PAO, NCIS

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
Stumped? Don't be afraid to steal, or to put
it more mildly, why reinvent the wheel when you
can borrow? Go to the Hometown News Release and
CAP News Online pages on the CAP web site at
www.cap.gov to see how others have already
written about the same topics.

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
Place the phrase FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE in the
upper left corner. Capitalize every letter.

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
Below the phrase FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, skip a
couple lines and place the contact persons
information. List your name, grade, title
home, work and mobile telephone and fax numbers,
and e-mail addresses. If for any reason you
are not going to be available list some other
spokesperson or the person with the most
information, because reporters often work on a
deadline and may not be available until after
hours.

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
Compose a short headline that clearly describes
the news release content and grabs the readers
attention. The ideal headline is 80 characters
long. Center it in bold type on the page. Place
concise secondary subheads in italics below the
main headline.

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
A dateline is the city your news release is
issued from and the date you are distributing
your release. This is typically the HQ from which
your unit is based or the AFB where the activity
was held. The AP Stylebook (page 66) lists
the 30 U.S.cities that are so large and well
known that they don't need the state to be listed
too. For example, it is TAMPA, Fla., but only
MIAMI. States are not abbreviated like the Zip
Codes (see page 66)!

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
Lead The first paragraph is used to grab the
readers attention. 5 Ws and H The most
important of the questions should be answered in
the lead. Others are answered later. Short
paragraphs Paragraphs run one to two sentences
in length. Rarely do you see paragraphs of more
than three sentences. Quotations The exact
words of someone talking. Its a good idea to use
quotations to bring "life" to your story.
Inverted pyramid style You want to include the
most important information first, followed in
descending order by less-important information.

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
Lead The first paragraph is used to grab the
readers attention. 5 Ws and H The most
important of the questions should be answered in
the lead. Others are answered later. Short
paragraphs Paragraphs run one to two sentences
in length. Rarely do you see paragraphs of more
than three sentences. Quotations The exact
words of someone talking. Its a good idea to use
quotations to bring "life" to your story.
Inverted pyramid style You want to include the
most important information first, followed in
descending order by less-important information.

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?

• Who
• What
• When
• Where
• Why
• How

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?

• Who Who is announcing the news?
• What What is being announced a promotion,
  change of command, SAREX, etc.?
• When The time -- include a.m. or p.m. -- and
  date. Make certain the day and date correspond.
• Where The location of the program or activity
  that was or will be held.
• Why This is your key message. It is why you
  are making news.

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
Once you master the Who, What, When, Where, and
Why of your press release, you can begin to
revise it and tighten the wording so that it
appears to be reader friendly, while ensuring
that all of the questions your readers will want
to know have been answered.
-- Greg Soule, PAO, TSA

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
Limit your opening (lead) sentence to no more
than 2528 words. Keep your lead paragraph below
50 words. It should be very short but can capture
the essence of what you're writing about. Readers
usually scan a page. If you can catch their
attention, then your press release is effective.

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
Lead sentence guidelines Who said or did
something.What was said or happened.When it was
said or happened.Where it was said or
happened.Why it was said or happened.

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
The lead makes or breaks the press release. --
Greg Soule, PAO, TSA

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?

• Who Eighty members from 45 Wings of the Civil
  Air Patrol (CAP)?
• What attended a Public Affairs Academy
• When Aug. 5-6
• Where at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Kisimmee,
  Fla.
• Why to focus on the theme Public Affairs
  Essentials Think Nationally, Act Locally.

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
Second paragraph The sessions will be
complemented by networking opportunities and the
presentation of CAP Balsem awards for
professional excellence in a variety of
categories. In addition, keynote speaker CNN's
Miles O'Brien will provide an inside view on how
to secure national media coverage.

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
In the third paragraph, insert a quote from a
leader, such as the director or a project head,
about the event or program. Be sure to identify
the source of all quotes. Make sure that the
quote content explains and enhances the story,
and that there is a clear relationship between
the person quoted and the story. Try to limit the
number of quotes to no more than two people.

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
Third paragraph Areas of emphasis will include
media relations, Web site development, community
relations, newsletters, planning and much more,
said Julie DeBardelaben, deputy director of
public affairs at CAP's national headquarters.
The sessions will be complemented by networking
opportunities and the presentation of CAP Balsem
awards for professional excellence in a variety
of categories.

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
Fourth paragraph The inaugural Academy was held
last year in Atlanta and will be held every other
year starting in 2010. The agenda and
presentations were selected by CAP's Public
Affairs Team -- National Adviser Col. Rick
Greenhut, Team Leader Lt. Col. Cynthia Ryan, and
members Col. Virginia Keller, Maj. Douglas
Jessmer, and Capt. Steven Solomon.

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
Fifth paragraph Completing the course from this
area were Maj. Paige Joyner of Atlanta, public
affairs officer for the Georgia Wing Maj.
Patricia Mitcham of Huntsville, Ala., public
affairs officer for the Alabama Wing Lt. Col.
Jim Lawson of Maryville, Tenn., newsletter editor
for the Southeast Region and Lt. Col. George
Navarini of Pembroke Pines, Fla., director of
marketing and public affairs for the Florida Wing.

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
Next to last paragraph The Southeast Region
(SER) of CAP encompasses the five states of
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and
Tennessee and the commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
SER consists of 9,115 members (5,163 officers and
3,952 cadets), which makes it the largest Region
in CAP. Last year the six Wings flew more than
15,000 hours and were credited with saving 3
lives. There are approximately 275 units in the
SER.

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
The final paragraph covers basic organizational
information, e.g., who you are, history of the
event or program. If you have a list of member
organizations, sponsors, or other partners, list
them in an attachment rather than incorporating
that information into the text of the release.
This makes it easier for a reporter or editor to
review.

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for
CAPFinal paragraph
CAP, the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air
Force, is a nonprofit organization with more than
56,000 members nationwide. CAP performs 90
percent of continental U.S. inland search and
rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue
Coordination Center and was credited by the AFRCC
with saving 103 lives in fiscal year 2007. Its
volunteers also perform homeland security,
disaster relief and counter-drug missions at the
request of federal, state and local agencies. The
members play a leading role in aerospace
education and serve as mentors to the nearly
22,000 young people currently participating in
CAP cadet programs. CAP has been performing
missions for America for more than 66 years. For
information, go to www.cap.gov.

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
Follow the inverted pyramid style with the
most important facts first. Keep sentences
short. Use short, well-known words. Avoid
jargon. Use active words to add zest to your
writing. Avoid, for example, "it was said," or
"it is thought." Use specific, concrete - not
abstract - words and terms. Do not
editorialize, which means injecting your own
preferences or even preferences of the subject
you are writing about without attributing.
Avoid adjectives that reflect opinion. Stick to
the facts.

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
If your release goes beyond one page, type
-more- at the bottom of the first page. Keep
the release to a maximum of two/three pages, but
strive for one. At the end of your release,
type or -30- to indicate the end of the
copy.

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
NEVER WRITE IN ALL UPPER CASE LETTERS! This
is very bad form. Even if your news release makes
it past the editors (highly unlikely), it will
definitely be ignored by journalists. Use mixed
case.

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
What about style, grammar, and punctuation? In
the United States, most books and libraries
follow the Chicago Manual of Style while the
most-used guide for the general public is The
Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. and
E.B. White. CAP
PAOs use the AP Stylebook as reference. This is
the guide used by HQ/PA at Maxwell AFB, Civil Air
Patrol Volunteer, and most major newspapers in
the United States.

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
What about style, grammar, and punctuation? Do
NOT use The Tongue and Quill. Do NOT use CAPR
10-1 Preparing and Processing Correspondence. Do
NOT use the Air University Style Guide.

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?

• What about style, grammar, and punctuation?
• Pay carefull attention to abbreviations
• CAP abbreviations used for internal memos are NOT
  the same for press releases!
• Example
• - 2d Lt for CAP memos
• - 2nd Lt. for CAP press releases

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for
CAP?What about style, grammar, and
punctuation?

• Pay close attention to capitalization the AP
  Stylebook directs that titles before a name are
  capitalized, but titles after a name are not.
  Also, titles standing alone are not capitalized.
• Examples
• - Wing Commander Col. John Doe noted
• - Col. John Doe, wing commander, said
• - The wing commander stated that

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for
CAP?Are your first few sentences compelling
enough to grab the readers attention from
beginning to end?
Use short, declarative sentences and
double-space the lines. Make sure to use an
active verb in your first sentence. But
avoid puff words and phrases such as
exciting, very large, monumental, etc.

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for
CAP?Did you double check your facts?

• Read through your news release as though it's the
  first time. Read through it as though it's a
  story in the paper. Read through it looking for
  typos and awkward sentences. If there are lots of
  names, ask someone to help you check the
  spellings by reading the letters aloud while you
  hold the original document that lists them.

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for
CAP?Did you double check your facts?

• When I write a news release for CAP, I like to
  use lots of names and also their hometowns and
  ages. If it's about just one person, as in a
  story about a promotion, I also list CAP
  specialities, qualifications, encampments and
  activities. I get this information from
  eServices.

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for
CAP?Did you double check your facts?

• Google the names of the universities your
  subjects say they attended, the businesses they
  say they work for, the aircraft they say they
  fly, etc. to ensure you are spelling everything
  correctly and have the context right.

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for
CAP?Did everyone quoted or referenced in your
story have a chance to review it for accuracy?
After re-checking that your facts are correct
and performing spellcheck, it is imperative that
you get approval of what is actually only a draft
of a news release at this point.

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
Every organization has a code of ethics. Some
even write them down, and a few actually live up
to those ethics... When we stick to those ethics,
even in troubling times, we flourish and we are
believed. -- Bob Stone, Chief, Public
Affairs, U.S. Army Intelligence and Security
Command

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for
CAP?Did everyone quoted or referenced in your
story have a chance to review it for accuracy?

• Who should review your news release?
• Your Commander or designee
• Activity or Mission director
• Next level higher PAO
• PAOs from cooperating agencies
• Trusted colleague or family member
• EVERY person quoted

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for
CAP?Did everyone quoted or referenced in your
story have a chance to review it for accuracy?
But DON'T let anyone who reviews your news
release force you to capitalize or abbreviate or
make any change contrary to the AP Stylebook!
Gently remind superiors that the style used for
producing a news release for the public is NOT
the same as writing a CAP memo for internal
readers. (If you need help, call your Wing PAO.)?

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for
CAP?Did everyone quoted or referenced in your
story have a chance to review it for accuracy?
DO send everyone who has reviewed your news
release a final copy for their files along with a
list of media you've sent it to.

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
Closing thoughts...

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
Photo tips will be offered by HQ/PA's Susan
Robertson in a roundtable tomorrow. What you
should do with your news releases will be
explained by GAWG's PAO Maj Paige Joyner in a
presentation later today. But, for those who
just can't wait

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
Distribute your news releases by e-mail NOT
fax or mail to only the most likely media that
will use them. Send them to ONLY one media person
at a time. Paste the releases as plain text in
your e-mail. Do NOT send any attachments. If you
have photos ONLY indicate the captions if the
media is interested in seeing your photos they
will ask for them. Do NOT call to ask if your
e-mail was received. And NO, you don't need to
design any kind of letterhead with color logos in
order to distribute your news releases.

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Basic How Do I Write a News Release for CAP?
The End. Questions?

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