In my 20+ years in communications, I’ve had countless ‘experts’ track changes to my media releases, correcting job titles, tweaking messaging, and even rewriting headlines to suit their own preferences.
Here’s the truth: What you, your agency or business thinks is ‘right’ doesn’t matter if it doesn’t meet newsroom standards. And here’s the real kicker… You are not the audience of the media release – the newsroom is.
Editors and journalists at outlets like RNZ, NZ Herald, Waikato Times, and our local community papers receive hundreds, if not thousands, of media releases every week. Journalists have openly shared that they send most straight to the bin because they don’t meet basic journalism standards. If you want your story to be picked up, it should be written like a journalist would write a story, not like a marketer, PR agency, or communications advisor… or CEO, engineer, accountant, lawyer, HR manager, or other random internal expert.
Why do journalism standards matter?
Like us at Belle, journalists work to strict codes of accuracy, fairness, and clarity. Releases that read like ads or bury the news will be ignored. By meeting newsroom expectations, you make editors' lives easier and increase your chances of coverage.
The anatomy of a strong media release
One of the best things I learned early in my career is to craft my stories like an inverted pyramid, with the most important information first and supporting details later.
Headline: | Clear, concise, and news-focused. Avoid hype. Include location if relevant for local media. |
Lead paragraph: | Answer the 5Ws (Who, What, When, Where, Why) immediately. Editors scan the first sentence to decide if it’s newsworthy. |
Body: | Add supporting details, quotes from credible sources, and relevant statistics. Keep paragraphs short and easy to read. |
Boilerplate: | A short description of your organisation – not its full history. |
Contact details: | Include a spokesperson who is available for follow-up. |
Tips journalists appreciate
Newsworthiness first, so ask yourself, “Why is this news now?”
Authentic quotes. We can tell straight away whether a spokesperson wrote their quote, and so can journalists. Journalists often use quotes verbatim, so make them insightful and, most importantly, human.
Avoid sales language.
Stick to facts and public interest angles.
Include high-quality, relevant visuals to increase pickup rates (always ensure you have permission to use photos featuring people).
Proofread and polish your media release; typos and errors kill credibility. Double-check names, dates, and Māori place names (including macrons).
Once you’re ready to distribute your release, NEVER blast it far and wide, hoping the masses will pick it up. That’s frankly lazy and just annoys the long list of people you’ve sent it to. Take the time to send it directly to the relevant journalists. Let us help with this part.
Common mistakes to avoid
These errors will make your release look amateur and reduce your chances of coverage:
Capitalising job titles incorrectly. WRONG: The Project Manager said… RIGHT: The project manager said…
Marketing and overly promotional language. Editors hate hype. Avoid phrases like “world-leading” unless you can prove it.
Burying the news. Don’t start with background or company history. Lead with the news.
Long, dense paragraphs. Releases should be easy to scan. Use short paragraphs and plain language.
Missing key details. Forgetting the 5Ws is a deal-breaker.
Incorrect spelling of names and places. Accuracy matters, especially for Māori names.
Using acronyms without explanation. Spell out the full name first, then use the acronym.
Poor formatting. Avoid fancy fonts or embedded logos. Keep it clean and professional.
No contact information, or a contact that cannot be contacted. Always include a media contact who is available.
Ignoring New Zealand-style preferences. New Zealand journalism generally uses lowercase for job titles, single quote marks, and metric measurements.
Final words
Writing media releases that meet New Zealand journalism standards is about respecting the newsroom’s time and priorities. Keep the media release factual, concise, and newsworthy, and you’ll stand out from the flood of promotional fluff.
Belle PR specialises in storytelling and pitching, and we can help make your next announcement more impactful. Get in contact with me, Charlotte FitzPatrick, at charlotte@bellepr.co.nz to learn more.
