Press release writing courses

Despite regular cries of “that press release is dead”, it is invariably the first thing most journalists will ask for when PRs pitch them a story.

For evidence, look at Captain Tom Moore’s astonishing campaign to raise money for the NHS during the coronavirus pandemic – it began with a simple press release.

In a crowded media landscape with thousands of stories competing for coverage, it is vital that your news release stands out from the rest, grabbing the attention of the journalist straight away.

Our press release writing courses teach delegates the types of stories and angles that attract editors and how to write from the perspective of the journalist so they are drawn in.

As well as angles, areas demystified and explained include quotes that work, key messages, jargon, using good grammar, and how to structure and pitch your press release.

The course combines theory, discussion, brainstorming and practical exercises to provide delegates with a solid toolkit to take on the challenge of news release writing.

By the end of one of our press release writing courses, delegates will:

• Understand the who, what, where, when and how of pitching to journalists
• Develop skills to generate strong story ideas
• Understand why each release needs to pass the “smartphone” and “so what?” tests
• Be clear on how to format their press release and write interesting, engaging copy
• Know how to create a pitch that maximises coverage

Venue

We deliver courses in the most appropriate format for your circumstances – whether face to face or online.

Face to face courses are portable: they can be held in purpose-built studios, at your own offices or at an external venue. In the latter two cases, we create a mock studio for the practical exercises.

Online courses give you flexibility and enable you to offer training to delegates from all over the world. We have run virtual courses for people from the Far East, South Asia, North America and Europe, as well as the UK.

Course tutor Ann Wright delivers Effective Press Releases courses for the Public Relations Communications Association.

Lots of practical, straightforward advice. I really enjoyed the course – thanks for all the great tips. When I got back into the office the next day I put the learning into practice and tweaked our most recent press release. It was picked up straight away by the Yorkshire Post Vida Healthcare

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If you’d like some help writing press releases, call us on 020 8332 6200 or email on info@roughhouse.co.uk

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