You are on Page 5 of Section 7

● Introduction & Index ● What is PR ● Job Expectations ● Types of Media ● Building Relationships ● Media, Hams & FCC Rules ● The Basic News Release ● Interviews and Live ● Making your own show ● Easy P.R. ● Public Service Events ● Piggy-back to Events ● Pictures NOW! ● P.R. Research Aids ● Making Friends ● ARES® PIO ● Final Exam Information Next Page

The Body of the Release The first few lines of the body are called the lead. This is where it is “make or break” for all the information to follow. In the lead, a writer must make the salient points quickly and concisely. You have three or no more than four sentences to grab the reader/editor. For many writers, this is the hardest part of any document-getting started. Some writers will put anything on paper with the intention of rewriting it several times, while others will think the possibilities through before ever beginning to type-and still find themselves rewriting. Let’s use the injured hunter scenario and look at a few different treatments to see how a lead could develop: (DURKEE, WY) - After falling down a ravine, John Williams of rural Durkee assessed his injuries and quickly decided with a broken leg and possible rib fractures there was no way he could make the climb back to the logging road and wait for help. Instead, Williams retrieved the handheld amateur radio transceiver he always carries in his backpack and began to call for help. An alternate might read: (Durkee, WY) - An avid hunter, John Williams is just as passionate about amateur radio and the two hobbies merged last week when an injured Williams used his amateur radio to summon help for himself after slipping into a ravine. “I always take a small two-way radio with me when I’m going to be hunting and it really paid off,” Williams said as he recovers from multiple fractures sustained in the 30 foot tumble. And for a third treatment: (DURKEE, WY) - Amateur radio is being credited with saving the life of local hunter John Williams following a 30 foot fall into a ravine, resulting in numerous fractures. After assessing his injuries, Williams remembered the small radio he always has in his backpack while hunting and used it call for assistance. In these examples, the second paragraph is where we begin to tell Mr. Williams’ story of rescue and survival in more detail. It is the second and subsequent paragraphs that we will tell the details of the amateur radio angle. It is here were we begin to work in Mr. Williams’ call sign with a simple phrase such as, “Williams, who holds the call sign KH7TDY, has been active in amateur radio since first becoming licensed in 1978.”