Press Release/News Story
When your department or program has news to announce—an event, student success, faculty recognition, major grant award, or a new discovery—a press release or WSU Insider story is one tool for sharing your news.
The CAS communications team develops stories for internal communications (CAS Story Hub, e-newsletters, college website, etc.), and works with WSU News to distribute news externally.
If you have news to share, please contact us at cas.news@wsu.edu to start the process. We’ll work with you to identify the appropriate communications channel.
Anatomy of a Press Release or News Story
Purpose
Provide a summary and a few interesting points about your news that are easily understood by the general public, and may entice a journalist to ask more questions and/or share the news.
In general, press releases and news stories that receive the broadest external attention include:
- New or novel discoveries
(first, most, only, latest, one of a few, etc.) - Research or scholarly work that sheds a new perspectives on a field of study or previously accepted hypotheses
- Work that is timely or relates to current news stories or trends
(e.g., healthcare, presidential elections, social justice) - Unusual or innovative creative work
- Relevant to or coinciding with an anniversary or date of interest
(e.g., Women’s History Month, Beethoven’s birthday, landing on the moon) - Significant external award or honor
(e.g., elected fellowship, PECASE, Fulbright, national or international recognition) - Information in the public interest and/or a call to action
(e.g., elder care, national security, energy, education, policy) - Significant new grant awards (usually over $500,000, but the potential impact is the most important factor)
- And, occasionally, an intriguing human interest story
Headline
A concise statement that immediately conveys the main idea or impact of your news. Google recommends headlines between 2 and 22 words for optimum visibility and search results.
Introductory Paragraph
One to three sentences that briefly summarize the main idea or concept.
Quote
A short quote from a faculty member, researcher, student, or administrator brings a human element to the story and is another way to provide details and information.
Main Text
The subsequent paragraphs fill in the details of your news. Provide details about the participants, who stands to benefit, who stands to lose, etc.
It is best to use an inverted pyramid structure for press releases: the most interesting or newsworthy information at the top followed by supporting points towards the end.
Call to Action
Provide a link that leads to more information, photos or video content, or consider including boilerplate information about the department or program.
Contact Information
Provide an office phone number and email address for the person named in the article. Confirm this person will be available on the day the press release is distributed.