Writing that press release

When writing a press release to the Jamestown Press, or any other newspaper, remember the following style tips to give your release a more polished, ready-to-go look.

First, don’t use any bold, underline or italics. Editors just have to spend time un-bolding, un-italicizing, etc. If the piece is well-written, the Press will know which are the most important points.

Write in a standard font like Times New Roman and keep the font size to a maximum of 12.

Never write in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS—it drives us nuts!

Include all the W’s: What, When, Where, and don’t forget ticket or admission prices, if applicable.

Months, except from March to July, are abbreviated. Write dates as follows: Jan. 4, 2007, July 13, 2007, or Thursday, Jan. 4, etc. Times are always followed by a.m. or p.m. Don’t put them in uppercase as in AM or PM.

Write out first, second, third instead of 1st, 2nd, etc. Never put “th” or “nd” after a date, as in Jan. 4th.

Don’t center the document or put anything in column or table format. Keep everything justified to the left margin.

Always give us a contact name and phone number on any release or letter to the editor in case we have a question.

Call or e-mail us with any additional questions at 423-3200 or news@jamestownpress.com.

Above all, remember to keep sending us your news and announcements!