Photographs
Editors
look for innovative or unusual shots rather than standard line-ups or
handshakes. They also like lots of faces.
A good photograph can really improve the chances of a press release being published so it is well worth commissioning a professional photographer with experience in press shots.
Don’t forget to caption your photograph and include the names (first and surname) as well as the positions of all those appearing in it.
Top tip – let journalists know photographs are available but DO NOT attach them unsolicited to an email.
Filming
For a story to appeal to television it obviously needs to be visual. Think about what you can offer for filming – consider locations, props, people. Features where a journalist gets to ‘try their hand at something’ are popular for ‘soft’ news stories.
Outline
what you can provide for TV in your email. Unless it is a ‘breaking
story’, content is planned in advance
for TV news, so give them as much notice as possible. Top
top – use spokespeople who can explain the topic in a way that’s easy to
understand and can ‘chat’ in a natural way with the interviewer (this might not
be one of your senior executives!)
Radio interviews
Radio
journalists are looking for sound bites - a few words that sum up the story.
They need people with clear, expressive voices and, if they are on location,
places with some interesting background noise that can ‘set the scene’.
Top tip – interviews at events such as exhibitions always provide lots of atmosphere.
