4.1 Writing a press release
Press releases should be written with a target audience in mind, but note that they are not written directly for that target audience: they are written for an editor, journalist or broadcaster, and are tailored to the readership, viewers or listeners of that publication or programme (Forrest-Turner, 2020).
Keep the title short and enticing, and use the active voice. Avoid including too much scientific detail in the title. For example, ‘Antimicrobial use influences bacterial resistance in all settings’ is a better option than ‘Surveillance of Enterococcus spp. reveals distinct species and antimicrobial resistance diversity across a One-Health continuum’ (Zaheer et al., 2020).
The first paragraph of a press release should outline the research in approximately three sentences, and should answer the following questions (ASBMB, 2021):
- Who are the authors?
- What is the main finding?
- When was the study done? (Include a journal title and the date of publication.)
- Why was the study done – how is it relevant?
Again, use the active voice and avoid scientific jargon. The first paragraph should be able to stand alone.
The second paragraph of a press release should put the research in context: why is it exciting or unexpected? However, note that the finding must not be overexaggerated or oversold. The third paragraph should introduce details: not specific experimental details but a description of how the finding advances scientific knowledge, reinforces a key idea or provides a new method. The fourth paragraph should include a relevant quote to add information, credibility and/or opinion – something brief from a researcher involved in the work, or from a colleague familiar with the importance of the finding (but make sure that they agree to be quoted) (ASBMB, 2021).
Remember to include contact information for the corresponding author, including their name, email address and phone number, and their institution. You should also provide information for accessing the original paper, such as a URL or DOI.
Activity 5: Looking at a press release
Now read ‘New report calls for urgent action to avert antimicrobial resistance crisis’, a press release by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO, 2019). How does it meet the criteria of writing a good press release, as outlined above? (You should note that the press release may have more than one paragraph to write the first, second, third and fourth paragraphs described above.)
Discussion
The title is short and enticing, it’s in the active voice, and it doesn’t include scientific detail.
The first paragraph (which is split into two paragraphs here) outlines the report in approximately three sentences, and answers the following questions:
- Who: The report is by the UN Ad hoc Interagency Coordinating Group on Antimicrobial Resistance.
- What: ‘[D]rug-resistant diseases could cause 10 million deaths each year by 2050 and damage to the economy as catastrophic as the 2008–2009 global financial crisis’.
- When: The press release provides a link to the report and the date (29 April 2019) is also given.
- Why: ‘By 2030, antimicrobial resistance could force up to 24 million people into extreme poverty.’
The second paragraph (two paragraphs beginning ‘Currently, at least 700,000 people die each year …’) puts the research into context.
The third paragraph (two paragraphs and a list beginning ‘Recognizing that human, animal, food and environmental health …’) reinforces a key idea and makes recommendations.
The fourth paragraph (eight paragraphs beginning with the quote by Amina Mohammed) includes relevant quotes to add information, credibility and an opinion from a respected source.
In addition, the ‘contacts’ box provided on the same web page includes contact information for corresponding authors, including their names, email addresses and institutions. The press release also provides a hyperlink in the first sentence to access the original report.
4 Writing for a policy audience
