10 ways to write a bad news release

1. Always single-space, and save paper by typing on the back. Don't waste a sheet of your letterhead on the press either.
2. Never include a contact name and phone number – they'll just call you at the office and wake you up.
3. Writing is a creative process, so jump right in. Never waste time trying to decide what it is you want to say. And make your lead as long as you need to – after all, it's your muse.
4. If you must include specific facts in your release, never attribute them to anyone. That way you won't have to worry about whether you've gotten them right.
5. The press is always trying to simplify, but there's no reason you have to. If the issue you're talking about is a complex one, give them all the facts and let them sort it out.
6. Never worry about the media's needs. I mean, what's this with the tight deadlines?
7. Always assume the press knows what's been going on. And if they haven't been paying attention, why waste your valuable time getting them up to speed?
8. If the press has caused you problems in the past, a news release is the ideal time to complain about it.
9. Never enclose additional information or materials, and never offer the media an o pportunity to come out and take its own pictures. If you don't want them to have pictures, what do they need to come out and shoot film for?
10. Everybody else's news releases tend to look the same, but that's no reason you should worry about so-called "news style." Sure, they prefer Maine and Kan. over ME and KS, but that's no reason you have to slavishly follow suit