Resource- Media Plan and News Release Guide

According to its mission statement,

“the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation promotes excellence in journalism worldwide and invests in the vitality of the U.S. communities where the Knight brothers owned newspapers.”

The Foundation has launched a website “with a step-by-step guide to creating a media plan and writing a news release.” Here are just some of their tips for creating an effective news release for a nonprofit which has received a foundation grant:

• “A strong, brief headline.
• A compelling opening sentence (a “lead”) telling the news in a nutshell (the who and the what).
• A second paragraph explaining the grant’s context — major results expected,the big problem it’s trying solve.
• A strong quote from a key player saying why this matters to average people sometimes called “the so-what.”)
• Additional details of grant activities and expected results.
• Brief background on your organization, the funder, as well as other groups involved.
• Key names, numbers or websites leading to further information.”

The guide is an excellent resource. To access, just click on the title to this post.