A Toolkit for Volunteer Leaders
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Writing C-4

If the newspapers can possibly screw up one of your articles, you can be certain that they will. -Advice from the old county agent.

The goal of journalism (writing for mass media) is not just to be understood; our goal must be to write so that misunderstanding will be impossible.

 

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After completing this module you should be able to:

1. Write a news release for a local newspaper.
2. Describe a process for improving your writing skills.

 

PREPARE A NEWS RELEASE

We will assume that everyone reading this module has some degree of writing skills. Rather than try to address grammar, composition, sentence structure, spelling, punctuation, rhetoric, style, etc., this module will deal with writing a news release for a local newspaper. This approach will give you a useful skill and provide the basis for improving your writing for as long or short a period as you choose.

Newspapers, like radio and television, are mass media that can and should be used by educators and other community development workers. Mass media are essential for announcing meetings and events outside of the small circle that can be contacted by telephone or face to face.

You do not have to be an expert to prepare news releases. Some knowledge about your organization and its activities is all you need to begin a news release whether it is for a newspaper, the radio or television. What is the event or activity that you wish to publicize? This is your topic. Write it down. Now ask yourself the following questions and write down the answers.

WHO Person, group, or organization involved in the activity.
WHAT What kind of meeting, activity or event are you publicizing? (contest, sign up, workshop, tour)
WHEN Exact time and date (day, month, year) for starting and ending.
WHERE Exact location (address) where the event will be held. (Give directions if the address is not easy to find)
HOW Exactly how will this event or activity unfold.
WHY Reasons for the event, likely effects or outcomes.
RESULTS If this is an activity that has already happened, what happened, what was discussed, what decisions were reached?
OTHER DETAILS Who sponsors the event? Other details of interest. Include quotes and photos (black and white) if available. More details are better than not enough.

Here is an example:

WHO Boys and girls ages 6-18
WHAT Youth soccer league sign ups for fall games (August 15 to November 15)
WHEN Saturday, July 2 and 9, 1999, from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
WHERE Verde Valley Fairgrounds, 104 N. Main, Cottonwood (entrance is beside the A & W Drive-in)
HOW Come anytime. Bring a birth certificate and a check for $25 to pay for uniform and league expenses. A parent's signature is needed. All can be completed in 10-30 minutes depending on how many people show up at the same time.
WHY League purposes are to provide a safe, healthy activity for all youth, to teach teamwork, and to strengthen families.
RESULTS Everyone who registers will be placed on a team. All registered players (who attend practice) will play at least half of every game. Teams will practice twice each week and play every Saturday. Teams are formed of youth in two-year age groups: 6- 7, 8-9, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15, and 16-18. Practices start August 15. Games are scheduled from September 7 through November 15.
OTHER DETAILS Youth soccer is the fastest growing sport in our state. Last year 814 youth played soccer in our league. This is recreational soccer as opposed to all-star or highly competitive soccer. No league champions are determined. Placings are not announced. No body is required to travel beyond the Verde Valley. Parents and other adults are needed to be coaches, referees, and "team mothers." No previous soccer experience is needed. Workshops are provided for coaches and referees.

Now write the essential information in paragraph form. The first paragraph is the most important. It should get attention and tell "who, what, where, when, why." Following paragraphs give increasingly less important information which may be cut if space is limited.

Example:

Everyone plays in the Verde Valley youth soccer league. Sign ups for the fall season will be 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturday July 2 and July 9, 1999, at the Verde Valley Fairgrounds for boys and girls ages 8 through 18. A birth certificate, a parent to sign the registration form, and a check (or cash) for $25 is all you need to sign up.

Everyone who registers will be assigned to a team. Every team member who attends practice will play at least half of every game. Teams are made up of two-year age groups. They play teams of the same age. No travel outside the Verde Valley is required. Practices start August 15 and each team will play every Saturday between September 7 and November 15. The $25 pays for a uniform and for league costs including referees.

Adults are needed for coaches, referees and team mothers. No soccer experience is required. Workshops will be scheduled for coaches and referees.

The Verde Valley youth soccer league is a recreational soccer program. Its purposes are to provide a safe, healthy activity for youth, to teach teamwork, and to strengthen families. No champions are declared and no team standings are published. This is the tenth year for the league. Last year 814 youth participated.

The Verde Valley Fairgrounds is located at 104 Main Street in Cottonwood. The entrance is beside the A & W Drive-in. The sign up process will take 10-30 minutes depending on the number registering at any particular time.

 

EXERCISE: IMPROVE YOUR WRITING SKILLS

Show your article to a friend or colleague who has equal or better writing skills. Ask him or her to critique your article for clarity and to note any errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style. Take the article to a news reporter who is interested in your subject (newspapers assign reporters to the "sports beat," community news, school activities, etc.). Many times a reporter will be willing to critique your article and make suggestions for improvement. The reporter will also tell you how and when to submit such articles for publication.

By repeating this process (outline, write, critique, revise) you will strengthen your writing skills. Any writer will tell you that the best way to improve your writing skills is to keep writing.