The Where

Another important aspect the editor is going to look for in your press release is does it concern his readers? Localization is an important factor in getting your news out to the public.

If your company is opening a new office, 1,000 miles away, chances are, the readers are going to say, “So what?” But if the current office, located in their town, is moving to another city 1,000 miles away, thus increasing the unemployment rate dramatically, it becomes instant news.

It is possible for news to happen elsewhere, and still affect the local community. If your company’s headquarters located across the country, held a blood drive that found a match for a rare blood type that is going to save a local girl’s life, it’s newsworthy.

The closer your news hits home, the greater its chances of being published, and maintaining interest among your audience. Even if the news itself isn’t localized, try to attach some sort of local angle to it.

If the event is happening elsewhere, and the event itself is the main news, state that first, but don’t bury the fact that it’s also going to affect those in the community. Bring that information to the forefront, directly after the What of your story. For example: XYZ Corporation (who) has been sold to its sister company in Japan (what), resulting in ten domestic plants shutting their doors, including the one here in X City (where).

The main news is that the company has been sold and that most of the domestic plants will close. But by adding the fact that their own plant will close as well, you’ve succeeded in localizing the news for your audience.

Many press releases will not have a specific local angle at all, and that’s fine as long as it will still somehow be of interest to the publications’ readers. If your client is a household name, and something big is about to happen, they want to know about it just like the rest of the country.

If, however, your client is opening a franchise in another town, hundreds of miles away, and it has no visible effect on your immediate community, send your press release to the editor of the primary publication in the new location for maximum coverage.

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