Press Releases: Standard Practice or Organisation-Specific?

Being given the opportunity to draft several press releases over the course of my internship at Baptistcare WA, I discovered that they can be very organisation-specific and quite different to the practice learned at university. Towards the conclusion of my internship, I was asked to write a press release about an upcoming 1970s themed staff lunch to mark the commencement of Baptistcare’s 40^th anniversary celebrations.

I sought out the agenda for the lunch from the Events Officer in order to give myself some initial ideas and to familiarise myself with the subject of my writing. Obtaining the official agenda also ensured that my facts would be accurate, always an essential requirement with press releases.

Quotes included in Baptistcare’s press releases were to come from at least one of two sources. The first, which is mandatory, was to include a quote from a senior authority such as the CEO or one of the Directors. The second, if applicable, was to come from a staff member of the department relevant to the story. Given this ‘news story’ affected the whole of the organisation, I considered a quote from our CEO, Lucy, to be most relevant. I observed that Baptistcare prioritised obtaining quotes from the most senior people within the organisation ahead of the most relevant person.

I also knew that Baptistcare’s press releases favoured additional background content that incorporated information as to how the organisation was fulfilling its mission. One particular activity, the Inaugural Recognition Awards, was being heavily promoted at the time. I knew that my supervisor would have inserted a brief statement on the tail end of the release. I decided to adopt this practice in similar fashion, and added a call to action for readers to nominate a staff member for the awards. I observed that Baptistcare’s press releases would  often stray from the original subject, which sometimes made the press release look more like a promotional tool. Lengthier press releases are also likely to be less appealing to journalists.

Baptistcare had also recently relaunched its website and was actively promoting its social media presence in its marketing communications. As a tie in with the subject of the press release, I directed readers to Baptistcare’s website and social media pages to find further information about the Inaugural Recognition Awards and 40^th anniversary celebrations. This practice was fairly standard with what I have learned at university and provides a useful link for readers wanting to find further information.

My overall observation was that Baptistcare had customised the format of a press release to fit with its current marketing needs, which included promoting its mission, upcoming events, activities and leadership. This format varied from university practice, in my opinion. 

This press release was a real test of what I had learned during my time with the organisation. Upon reading the final draft, my supervisor told me that the press release I had written looked perfect and that she wouldn’t change a thing! I had finally mastered a press release, Baptistcare style!