Releases help us tell the story, By Laurel Beager

Last week, I discussed how readers may contribute photos. The logical follow-up is how people may contribute material other than photographs.
Each day, Journal staff receive dozens of prepared news releases. Some of these pieces are of interest to our readers and relevant to where we live. Most of this information, however, is material that is mass mailed in an attempt to get publicity for an event, issue or cause outside our area or of a promotional nature. In the past, much of this material was mailed the old-fashioned way: paper dropped into a mailbox and delivered to The Journal. With the advent of technology, we now get most news releases — both local and otherwise — emailed to us.
To submit information to The Journal, we suggest that you prepare a news release that will help us determine how to best present the information to our readers. News releases should be typed on paper or emailed to us, along with a telephone number contact. If you email us, expect a reply so that you know we have received the information. (This valuable technology sometimes fails.)
News releases should answer the basic journalism questions: who, what, where, when and why. Include any information you think is pertinent, interesting and valuable to people who may read it.
News releases should also include first and last names for people mentioned in the news release. Check spellings to make sure that they are accurate. We will do our best to catch errors, but it may be difficult for us to confirm spellings. Courtesy titles, such as Mr. or Mrs., will not be used.
The news release should use layman’s terms as much as possible. We want your news release to be read and understood by the widest possible audience. Professional jargon may not be understood by the average reader. Don’t use acronyms, if possible. If you do, make sure you have provided the words the acronyms stand for on first reference.
If you quote other sources in your news release, be sure to attribute those sources. Cite the authority or expertise of the source.
News releases about an upcoming event should be sent to us at least one to two weeks prior to the event. That will give us time to prepare the material for publication and will provide our readers with enough time to attend the event.
When received, news releases will be given to the appropriate staff for consideration. Staff will review the release to determine if it is in the Associated Press style of writing and make adjustments, if necessary. It’s important that we have a way to contact the author of the release. There may be times that we believe additional information is needed. In some cases, we may use your news release as a basis for a full-fledged story and may contact the author for additional people to contact.
Remember, a news release does not serve the same purpose as an advertisement. News releases can provide information about an event, a new service provided by business or government, new staff added to a business, and development of a new group or organization, just to mention a few ideas. They are considered straight news. Embellishments, exclamation points, and other subjective information will be removed.
News releases may also include photographs to help demonstrate the information included in the release. However, if you send us information about a significant contribution or donation, please do not send us a photo of people holding a check and smiling. Instead, take a photo of kids playing on playground equipment, if the donation will help purchase more equipment, or get a photo of donators filling cupboards at the food shelf if that is what will benefit by the donation. Check passing photos really don’t tell the story of the donation.
If your are unsure how to submit a news release, call us and ask a few questions. We’ll be glad to help you share your news with our readers.