Don’t Underestimate The Power a Good Press Release!

• PRact workshop at Mumbai Press Club draws huge response

The workshop on The Art of Press Release Writing organized under the aegis of PRact – a joint platform of PRCI and IPRF – at Mumbai Press Club on the occasion of the World Communicators’ Day has evoked a tremendous response with over 60 paid delegates participating.

Communication professionals from corporate, consultancies and individual practitioners attended the workshop.

PRCI observes October 28 as the World Communicators Day since it was on this day that the world’s first press release was issued in 1906 by Ivy Lee in the US.

PRCI national president B N Kumar, who is also Executive Director of Concept PR,  kick-started the interactive workshop at which PR veteran Jitender Bhargava,  former Executive

Director – Corpcom, Air India, Journalists Gurbir Singh (former editor, BusinessWorld), Rajesh Kurup (Hindu BusinessLine) and Dharmedra Jore (Mid-Day) spoke about the importance of a good press release and how to create one.

Here are the key takeaways from the workshop:

• A Press Release begins with a catchy headline
• Then follow three or four bullet points that highlight key aspects of the release
• The most important points should come in the first two or three paras, else it will be junked.
• PR practitioners should follow the inverted-pyramid formula – the most important aspect on the top and the least in the bottom.
• We should also remember the 5Ws-and-1H formula.
• Newsrooms may ask ‘So What?’.
• Hence justify the release.
• Everybody wants the release to appear in The Economic Times and The Times of India
• The key is get journalists interested in the release
• News is no more about North-East-West-South.
• What’s new makes the news.
• Remember KISS – Keep it Short and Sweet.
• Grammar is very important in which ever language you write a press release.
• Use social media posting to popularize your press releases
• Some releases on product launches may not get media attention – however hard one may try.
• Use social media and once the post goes viral, the print medium will be interested in it.
• Mention contacts whoich are available for media queries – and not those who happen to be on leave or travelling.
• The idea of issuing a press release is to facilitate a journalist to write and not to harass him with irrelevant stuff.
• Clients and bosses might want to see their press releases in key media.
• They must be made to understand the functioning of media.
• Media familiarization workshops for clients are a must to keep their expectations at reasonable levels.
• Know your media well, make lists of various beat journalists, keep updating them for improved productivity since, for instance, there is no point in sending a business development story to a political journalist and vice-versa.
• Think like a journalist.
• Check the result of your press releases
• Check the wires which carry your release; check for the style, presentation and the art of writing.
• Your job becomes easier, if you follow and observe journalistic style of writing.
• It doesn’t happen overnight.
• But will sure happen with practice.
• For any more queries/clarifications you can contact B N Kumar at mailbnk@gmail.com
• He is available 24x7

Get, set, go...World Communicators Day - Oct 28

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- Vikram Kharvi

Social media can shake traditional media if…

• Rajdeep Sardesai Calls for tweets with responsibility
• Addresses launch event of unique knowledge platform PRact

MUMBAI, May 21, 2016: Battling hostile twitterati day in and out, veteran television journalist Rajdeep Sardesai has stressed that social media has the power to shake the traditional media out of its slumber.

File pic

Rajdeep lamented that the traditional media has been failing to focus on real issues impacting the society. “They need to go out into the streets and villages to find facts and report rather than confining themselves to their offices or studios,” he said launching PRact, a knowledge platform floated by Public Relations Council of India (PRCI) and Indian PR Forum (IPRF).

PRact, which stands for PR in Action held a debate on Disruption – How it impacts us, in association with Mumbai Press Club last night. Delegates came not only from Mumbai, but New Delhi and Hyderabad.

Taking time off from his election bulletins, Rajdeep addressed the delegates via telephone straight from his India Today TV studio in New Delhi.

Asked about tablodisation of TV journalism that pioneer TV anchor and his mentor Dr Prannoy Roy attacked, Rajdeep said every news channel has its own way of reporting. But he admitted that the TRP-hungry electronic media failed to address real issues. It is in this context that he said social media can mirror real issues since traditional media does pick up cues from Tweets and Facebook postings.

Amit Tripathi holding the audience spell bound!

When a delegate pointedly asked his as to why TV channels report about drought only when farmers commit suicide, he said “Unfortunately it is true” and asked: “How many of us actually go into the villages and study facts?”

On the usefulness of social media for PR professionals, Rajdeep said: “Yes, it is a good tool. You can effectively use social media for spreading your message and molding opinions. You should think of ways to communicate your message other than merely depending on your press releases.”

Audience engrossed in CHANAKYA - April 2016 issue

Noted digital platform professional Amit Tripathi, managing director of Ideate Labs, said in his presentation that PR and media professionals should be ready for pleasant surprises and shocks as the Internet population is set to multiply by leaps and bounds. “The day is  not far off when each one of us will be connected to six to seven devices such as mobile phones, laptops, ipads and desk tops,” he said and pointed out “this offers a huge potential for communicators to engage their target groups.”

“Digital PR will acquire importance only when you go beyond posting press releases online,” Amit said.

Piyush Jain,  Head – Research and Analytics at Adfactors, presented an analysis of reporting trends of HR related issues. “It is a folly to believe that media does not report

Piyush Jain

much on HR. We identified 316 journalists who report on HR across media, across India,” Piyush said showing his startling study results.

PRCI national president B N Kumar, executive director of Concept PR, said PRact will strive to bridge the knowledge gap among upcoming PR professionals. Vikram Kharvi, Founder of Indian PR Forum, said “This is just a beginning. Between PRCI and IPRF and with the help of Mumbai Press Club we will hold many workshops.” Vikram asked delegates to come up with ideas that will help enhance knowledge levels of PR professionals.

Mumbai Press Club president Prakash Akolkar appreciated the event as a “fantastic one” and said “we all learnt a lot about technology that is overtaking us.”

Getting Rajdeep from his busy election duty is a coup, said veteran journalist Jatin Desai.

PRCI is the premier national body of PR, media, advertising, HR professionals with close to 30 chapters pan India and abroad, while IPRF is India’s largest online community with over 25,000 Public Relations and Corporate Communications professionals across all social platforms.

Stay tuned for the upcoming session by PRact…

For any queries, please reach out to: practindia@gmail.com

(Event pix by D Ramcandran, Solus Media)