NEWS RELEASES 

N EWS RELEASES translate 

knowledge from technical 

reports into language that lay 

people can understand. They also 

announce anything newsworthy 

for which the Survey is the logical 

outlet. They are directed toward a 

broader readership than most 

Survey reports, and the style of 

writing is far less formal. To reach 

that readership, you as author 

must adapt your writing style to 

different ground rules. Formal 

publication makes the results of 

your research available to your 

scientific colleagues, but what 

about the general public? Interest 

in your subject may extend beyond 

the scientific community. Would 

your resul-ts be useful to people 

who normally-do not read scientific reports and journal articles? 

After months or years of effort in 

putting your research into words, 

shouldyou spend a few more 

hours preparing a news release? 

You, as the author, are in a 

good position to know if your 

work ought to reach a wider 

readership of community leaders, 

government officials, planners, 

managers, business people, 

students, teachers, and homeowners. You can help decide if ' 

your report is one that deserves 

telling to the rest of the world 

through a news release. 

The Survey issues news releases 

through Division representatives 

and public affairs specialists at 

headquarters and regional offices. 

These releases help fulfill our 

mandate to publish and disseminate information about the 

Nation's natural resources and 

natural hazards. About half the 

releases issued each year concern 

current earth-science events, the 

start of major new projects, 

speeches and talks, and major 

appointments and awards. In 

addition to written news releases, 

more than 100 stories are telephoned in each year to the news 

wire services to describe such 

current events as earthquakes, 

volcanic eruptions, and floods. For 

timeliness, increasing numbers of 

releases are sent to the news 

media by electronic mail, Each 

year, information in Survey news 

releases reaches millions of citizens through newspapers, magazines, radio, and television. For 

many citizens, news releases are 

the only link to the research activities of the Survey, and they can 

go a long way toward explaining 

the wide range of our good work. 

Writing the first draft of a news 

release is not easy. The sample 

news release that follows contains 

(your Survey address here) 

(your name here) 

PHONE: (your office phone number here) 

I For release: (Put a date at least 3 to 6 days after mailing) I 

I For release: UPON RICCEIPT (Prepared: Put here date of mailing) I 

SHORT, NEWSY HEADLINE 

Again, short and newsy--oatoh and hold the editors' attention 

with the first paragraph. Give the editors the gist of the story: why 

this news release will interest their readers, listeners, or viewers and 

why the information is timely. Use facts, not adjeotives. Catch 

editors with the first 10 to 16 words of the first sentenae, and then 

finish the paragraph by giving oredit to the U.S. Geologloal Survey, 

Department of the Interior. 

Now that you have the editors' attention, expand on the news 

given in the first paragraph. Start filling in the who, why, what, 

when, where, or how that wffl show why the readers, listeners, or 

viewers will want to and need to know the hard news. 

The seoond or third paragraph is a good plaoe to acknowledge 

your oooperators, but don't lose an editor with a lot of baoksoratching. 

Aooording to most news-release writers, by the fourth paragraph, the 

editor is looking for some single identified authority to quote. Someone 

who om give the facts in a short, pithy way as if talking direotly to the 

reader. Someone who can add a human element to the release. Someone 

who oan give the editor quotable--and believable--quotes. 

(more) 

246 News releases 
2 

The release should be understandable to a teenager or the 

nonsoientist next door. Read the release aloud to yourself or to a 

nonsoientist to see if it's understandable. Write in short paragraphs. 

Write in short sentenoes. Use familiar words. Write to be read. 

By now you have given the editors the heart of the story. 

Expand on the hard news in the remaining paragraphs, but don't save 

any vital faats until last. From here on the paragraphs are more and 

more expendable and may be eacrifioed to fit the spaoe available. 

To help prevent errors in Dekegboarding, oomplete your 

paragraphs on a page and don't split words at the end of a line. 

Double spaoe the firet paragraphs to allow the editor room to edit and 

rewrite. 

If appropriate at this point, you should list the title, authors, 

series, number, prioe, and availability of any oovering report: Copies 

of the - page report, "Title of theaeport," by (Author's Name) 

and published as U.8. Geologioal Survey (report series and no.), are 

available from the USGS (offioe that digtributes the report). 

If you have a oolleotion of intereeting faots to oram into the 

release, run them as separate filler items at the end: 

o Be professional. Avoid technical jargon, but don't insult the 

intelligenae of your readers, Inolude illustrations. Photographs 

of scientists at work and simplified maps showing key looalitiee 

are possibilities. 

o A release needs to reaoh the right editors or desks. Do not send 

it just to your favorite Pepoeber; you will lose more news media 

friends than you will make. Work with the US08 Publio Affairs 

Offloe to develop a good mailing list. 

o You need dot announoe at the beginning that this is a NEWS 

RELEASE. The release date and the format will oonvey that to 

the editor. Similarly, you don't need a covering memorandum 

announoing that you are attaching a news release. 

o If a page is to be followed by another page, type "(more)" at the 

bottom of the page. And finally, end the release with a mark 

that lets the editor know that you are done: 

(Note to editors: Sometimes, in this spaae between parentheses, a 

"Note to Editors" might advise of the availability of a photograph or a 

special oontaot for additional information. For more information, call 

the Publio Affairs Offioe.) . 

detailed information on how to 

proceed. Your first draft should 

lay out the most interesting and 

important scientific facts. Reviewers in the Public Affairs Office 

(Reston) will help add polish, ensure necessary clearance, and provide wide distribution to news 

media. 

Clearing a news release can be 

difficult and frustrating. Why? 

One explanation is that people in 

high places read more news 

releases than scientific reports, 

especially releases picked up by a 

wire service, a large newspaper, 

or the TV evening news. News 

releases are also sent directly to 

members of Congress and other 

key officials, and because of such 

high-level distribution, they often 

receive detailed high-level review 

and clearance, particularly any 

news release that deals with sensitive or national issues. Each 

Survey Division has a liaison 

officer who works with the USGS 

Public Affairs Office in clearing 

news releases. Some regional 

offices also have special liaisons. 

Check with your supervisor or the 

Public Affairs Office in the Office 

of the Director for further 

information. 

Some news releases are issued 

by field offices-usually releases 

dealing with basic data reports or 

new reports or maps of local interest. Procedural guidelines are 

spelled out in the Survey Manual 

and the Department of the Interior Manual. When in doubt, 

call the Public Affairs Office. That 

office can help you with official 

clearance and can also provide 

practical advice on mailing lists, 

release dates, and other details 

that could make or break a story 

no matter how good the words or 

subject. 

When the USGS celebrated its 

100th anniversary, it adopted the 

slogan "Earth Science in the 

Public Service." That slogan 

News releases 247 
reflects the justifiable pride of the 

Survey in the quality of the earth 

science we have provided since 

1879 and also our rededication to 

continue to serve the public. 

Before you begin to write, scan 

some past news releases to see 

what has worked before. Much of 

what you have done to produce a 

technical report or a scientific talk 

will not work. You are writing 

now for the news media and for a 

different readership. 

The release date at the top of 

the front page is part of the 

recognized news-release format. 

Most news editors appreciate a set 

date of release and will honor it. 

The set date lets reporters know 

how much time they have to expand on your story before the 

news will break. There may be a 

reason to set a release date in the 

future. If the story is too hot to 

allow lead time, or there is no 

reason to set a release date in the 

future, give the date of preparation so that editors know how old 

the story is. If the story is even 

hotter, you probably should 

telephone it in. 

The preceding example in newsrelease format outlines some of 

the needs, mechanics, and reasons 

for writing news releases. 

TALKING TO THE 

NEWS MEDIA 

An advantage of a news release 

is that facts as you see them are 

set down on paper. Chances of 

mistakes and misinterpretations 

between you and the reporter are 

minimized. 

Interviews with reporters and 

broadcasters also provide opportunities to communicate with the 

public, but the risks of error and 

misunderstanding are heightened. 

A suggestion: Bosses don't like 

surprises; let them know you have 

been interviewed before they read 

it in the morning paper or before 

their own boss calls. Handle questions discreetly, and check with 

your boss before the interview if 

possible. Additional guidelines: (1) 

stick to your own field of expertise; (2) avoid discussions of programs and budgets; (3) if you are 

uncomfortable with the way a 

question has been asked, have the 

interviewer restate the question, 

and then answer it. 

Letters to editors, including 

letters to forums in scholarly journals, can be useful and sometimes 

entertaining, and they help relieve 

stress. They also can backfire or 

produce stories we would rather 

not read about. As private 

citizens, we have the right to 

write, but as employees of the 

Survey, we have a responsibility 

not to involve the Bureau in our 

private fights. The higher one 

rises in the organization, the harder it is to separate the public role 

from the private and the harder it 

is to disclaim the mantle of writing as an official spokesman. The 

Survey has a proprietary interest 

in any such communication involving information and views 

gathered directly or indirectly as a 

result of your employment with 

the USGS. These communications, 

therefore, require formal Division 

and Bureau approval through the 

"Director's approval" process. It 

is then appropriate for your communication to show affiliation with 

the USGS. Given these conditions, 

it is not appropriate to use your 

home address or to use your home 

address to circumvent formal 

approval. 

Letters and similar communications to journals, magazines, 

newspapers, and other media do 

not require technical review, 

Branch approval, or Survey 

editorial scrutiny, but for Division 

and Bureau approval, submit your 

draft directly to the Associate 

Chief, Office of Scientific Publications, at the National Center, 

Reston, VA 22092. 

248 Writing a news release