Watch carefully for any adjectives you use in your press release. Like any other news item, you’re expected to send in an unbiased piece of information. Make sure you avoid writing words like “best,” “only,” “exciting,” or “dull.”

Instead of saying:

“The mayor lives in an expensive house.”

Say:

“The mayor’s house is estimated at $500,000.”

If you do have to include an opinion in your press release, usually at the request of your client, be sure to attribute it to someone other than the media publishing the story.

It’s fine to say:

“This is by far the best product we’ve released to date,” said Corporation X’s Vice President, Steven Smith, of his company’s soon-to-be-launched software.

Refrain from stating it’s the best without using a specific quote.

Try not to alienate your audience. Don’t use stereotypes, whether they be sexual, ethnic, or otherwise. Aside from avoiding basic title taboos, such as mailman, fireman, etc., it’s also best to avoid touchy societal subjects.

These include reporting on a woman’s marital status or physical appearance. Always ask yourself if the same information would be relevant if you were reporting about a man. You don’t want to alienate half of your audience by unintentionally insulting them.

In review, write for your audience by following three basic guidelines:

If you’ve worked through all of the complexities above, then your press release should read like a true news story, and not resemble that of a biased, puff piece. If possible, have someone else take a look at the story and see if they notice any instances where it looks as if someone who works for the company or organization has written it.

Following these criteria will endear you to the community as an ethical and unbiased presenter of information. And it just might produce positive results for your press release campaign, too!

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