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CHAPTER 6 Using News Releases as Sources
Overview
This chapter comes early in the series on basic types of stories for two important reasons.
First, it deals further with the question of news values. Students must recognize that material
in a news release usually is self–serving to the person or institution issuing it. Second, news
releases often are given to the beginning reporter to check out and rewrite.
The chapter, which describes various kinds of news releases, examines news releases from
the point of view of the journalist. However, a student who wishes to pursue a career in
public relations will also learn a great deal about the news release in these pages. It is
essential for every journalism student to know the difference between a news story and a
Teaching Tips
A teaching challenge for this chapter is obtaining copies of somewhat current news releases.
If you have connections with reporters or editors working in a newspaper newsroom, ask
Lecture Notes
I. INTRODUCTION Ferguson, Missouri, anecdote.
II. THE IMPORTANCE OF NEWS RELEASES
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A.
intended to take the place of reporting.
B. They are a help and a hindrance.
1. Without them, organizations would need many more reporters.
2. They are, by nature, not objective.
C. Reporters must know what to do with news releases.
III. TYPES OF NEWS RELEASES
A. Announcement releases events, personnel moves, etc., designed to promote good
will, get free publicity.
B. Cause-promoting releases announcements that seek to further a cause.
IV. HANDLING NEWS RELEASES
A. Contact information beyond the official contact; release dates.
B. Using an announcement release even simple calendar items should be rewritten;
some newspapers require all releases to be rewritten.
1. Check facts, spelling of names; do additional reporting if time allows.
2. Correct violations of AP style.
C. Using a cause-promoting release.
1. Do the necessary reporting, and look for human interest.
D. Using an image-building release.
V. USING A NEWS RELEASE AS A STARTING POINT AN EXAMPLE
A. Read the news release carefully make notes; consider any biases of the organization
that distributed the release.
B. Check for accuracy and fairness what is missing, and what are other viewpoints?
1. Especially check studies, polls, etc., for accuracy.
C. Do additional research and interviews do your own reporting!
D. Get back to the news release contact with questions but only after you have done
fact checking and reporting.
E. Write the story; it should be tight, follow AP style and have a lead that communicates
the news.
1. the way news releases are written or the information they
contain.
Class Activities and Discussion Questions
Activity 1: Bring copies of several different news releases to class. Divide students into
groups of three, and give each group three different news releases. For each release, students
should first determine the type of release (announcement, cause-promoting, image-building)
Activity 2: Bring copies of at least nine different news releases to class at least three of
each type (announcement, cause-promoting and image-building). Post them in random order
on the classroom walls. Pair students, and have each pair of students start by standing in front
of one of the posted news releases. (This will work best if you have one news release for each
pair of students.) Students should create a chart with three column headings:
For each release, student pairs should identify the type of release, give a summary and write a
news story lead. Give students only three or four minutes per station, and then have everyone
rotate. Allow all the groups to examine and work with each news release. When students are
back at the same release they started with, they should pull it from the wall and prepare to
Activity 3:
recent issue, and print a hard copy. Put students in groups of three or four. Ask them to share
their release in their group and then discuss with their partners how they would localize the
Activity 4: In a computer lab with Internet access, put students in groups of three. Assign a
current controversial topic (for example, in the summer of 2016, the ongoing story of
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump s tweets about immigration and crime), and
ask students to find, download and print three different press releases from three different
entities. (For example, for the Trump story, students might find a press release from the
Republican Party, one from the Democratic Party and one from an independent group like
Activity 5: This activity will take some planning on your part to pull off, but if you can make
it work, it can be a very effective way to help students appreciate both the value and the
department to come to your class. Tell the representative to bring copies of a recent press
your students as if they were local reporters. Include a question-and-answer session after the
Solutions to Textbook Exercises
1. At first glance, this simple news release might seem unusable. However, if used
imaginatively, it can be a wonderful challenge for your class especially if they do a
thorough job on the interviews. One way to extend this exercise would be for your
students to contact your community fire department and get information and quotes on the
2. Knowing what questions to ask about a news release is half of rewriting it. Point out to
students that a large metropolitan newspaper would not have much room for news stories
coming from these releases. However, the exercise here presumes that there is some room
for the story if it has a strong local emphasis. Tell students to assume that the releases are
from their community. A major purpose of the exercise is to teach students how to ferret
out a story from a news release.
a. This release is a cause-promoting release for the humane society.
at? How
The quotations are long and self-
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dog- –
b. This release is primarily an image-building release for Notre Dame University.
What role, if any, will the students play in the winning business plan? When might
we see the actual development of a device by the winning business?
3. Just a quick reading of this release reveals that it says nothing about seat belt violations in
4. 13, not all reporters read news
releases, and even when they do skim them, they sometimes miss the subtle points that
5. Your journalism blog. eflections on some of the
challenges inherent in news releases including, perhaps most significantly, the tendency
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Solutions to Workbook Exercises
1. A surprising number of stories in local newspapers are generated by some kind of press
release, especially when you include news briefs and calendar announcements. Students
should learn to appreciate the relationship between newspaper journalists and public
2. Unfortunately, some newspapers essentially republish press releases verbatim; others
have fired reporters for failing to rewrite press releases. It would be appropriate for
3. The most effective press releases will, of course, include as much information as possible
to help reporters write a story, as well as contact information for sources. To advance this
4. Students should realize that the primary reason for rewriting every news release is to
maintain the credibility of the news organization. A news organization should not just
5. The ubiquity of the Internet has resulted in media organizations playing much less of a role
as gatekeepers. The purpose of this exercise is for students to see how numerous different
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Questions to ask: How long has Springfield University been running this program?
university ever been in trouble over affirmative action programs? Has it lost
government funding?
Who are some current Springfield students who went through previous programs?
b. This release makes an announcement.
Questions to ask: Must children excel at passing, shooting and dribbling to win a
plaque? Do boys and girls compete in the same age grouping? In other words, do the
7. We suggest that you allow students a set amount of time to read the releases and to
prepare questions. Then you can serve as the source and answer any questions they might
have. This means, of course, that you must study the release and be ready with logical,
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8. You might list all the story ideas that the class comes up with from the news releases in
this exercise. Here are a few suggestions:
a. Check with local farmers to see how they are using telecommunications. Find out what
computer services are available to them and at what cost. Look for a possible success
story about a farmer who increased profits greatly by using telecommunications.
b. Interview administrators, teachers and students at several junior high schools or middle
9. a.
b.
CHALLENGE EXERCISE
10. We chose these releases because they are relatively timeless and are not tied to a
particular location. They provide an excellent means for teaching beginning reporters how