David McLean

The biggest mistake in most press releases I read, whether while editing or as a recipient, is the buried lede. Note, in news writing, we use the term “lede” to mean the “leading idea of the release.” Newspaper people spell it that way to distinguish it from “lead,” as in the space between lines of type…all this is very “old-school,” of course. But the idea of not burying the lede is, today, every bit as valid as tagging your blog.

Here’s the kind of self-serving press release lede I see way too often:

ACME Framis, a global leader in framis innovation and process improvement, is excited to announce a new joint venture with leading widget broker, Widgtech…yeah, yeah, yeah…

The problem here is two-fold. Nobody knows either of these two “leaders” and it’s not news.

Most newsrooms don't have time to dig for buried or non-existent ledes.

Often, we read three, four, eight paragraphs down and find bona fide news—buried at the bottom—something that a reporter or editor actually needs! Too bad the release was deleted before the lede was read.

When you write a release, pretend you’re pitching it to the most impatient and surly person you know (that gets you in the journalism zone). Get to the fact of the matter, the information that makes your release “news,” in the FIRST sentence.

If you can’t find it, you probably don’t need to send a press release.

Save the part about being a “leader in the industry” for the boiler plate copy at the very end.