Written By Barbara K. Mednick, Online PR Expert

The old saying that “You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression” applies to more than job interviews” – it can also apply to the opening or lead paragraph on a news release. That’s because the lead paragraph is critical to quickly and effectively selling a busy, cynical journalist on your story idea.

Information Overload

Each day editors and reporters are bombarded with news releases and information from numerous sources. A strong opening or lead paragraph can make your news release stand out from the rest and get the media attention you seek.

Key Characteristics of Strong Lead

So what are the key characteristics of a compelling lead paragraph in a new release? First and foremost you must open strong and get right to the point. In addition you must:

• Include a “news hook” to grab his/her interest immediately
• Write it in an exciting, but not sensational tone
• Answer the 5 W’s (who, what, when, where and why)
• Convince the journalist that his/her audience would be interested in the story
• Keep it to one sentence under 30 words
• Be concise and use the active voice
• Avoid too many buzzwords and industry jargon

Feedback from Colleagues

To obtain more information for this blog post, I recently conducted an informal LinkedIn survey with my fellow PR colleagues (several of whom used to be journalists like myself) from the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC).  I asked them “What are the characteristics of a strong and compelling lead paragraph on a news release?” Here’s what they told me:

• A good lead paragraph concisely communicates the news while letting the reader/media know why it’s relevant to them/their audience. It draws them in for further information.
• Media folks are usually very busy (and sometimes a bit lazy). If they have to work too hard to figure out the 5Ws of your release, they may ignore it. There’s a formula that they are used to, and when you deviate from it you make them work harder than they may want to work.
• Be brief, clear and above all, interesting. You’re competing for the attention of people with a lot to do other than read your news release. Focus on your message and avoid jargon, buzzwords and phrases that only you understand.
• Make it relevant and newsworthy. What we are trying to accomplish with a news release is selling the story to the reporter or the editor. Make them think “Wow, this is a great story.” As a former journalist, I write my news releases just like I would the actual story. This sells it to the journalist and makes their lives easier, because you’ve already found to news peg for them.
• The difference between a factual-but-boring release and one that gets noticed is the one that tells a great story. Introduce your key point in the opening paragraph and make sure that you back it up throughout the release.
• As a former journalist who transcended to “the dark side,” I have tossed and written more than my share of press releases. Editors are looking for the facts first and have neither the time nor the desire to go on a fishing expedition. If you want to support those 5W’s with a little creative prose a few paragraphs down — go for it — but keep the facts up front.

What do you think makes a strong lead paragraph on a news release?