Here's a Tip for Publicity: Don't Hide Your Story

		PR NEWSWIRE FEATURE NEWS MENDOLA FERGUSON Fred Ferguson, manager of PR Newswire's Feature News Service, and colleague Angela Mendola take their act throughout the United States, encouraging companies and organizations to use features to expand publicity results. (PRNewsFoto) [HD] NEW YORK, NY USA

NEW YORK, April 22 /PRNewswire/ -- A computer programmer develops a program to keep Internet pornography from the PC his son uses. A retired schoolteacher produces a set of cards to teach his own children math and vocabulary faster. And a dance teacher confined to a chair because of a broken leg creates a videotape teaching chair dancing. (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990422/HSTHFNS2 ) These are the personal, dramatic stories that once hid in routine news releases, according to Fred Ferguson, manager of PR Newswire's Feature News Service, which encourages the use of features to expand publicity results. "Organizations and companies who need publicity may get more exposure by doing a feature story rather than issuing a straight news releases," says Ferguson, who was a longtime reporter, editor and executive with United Press International. "Unless you're announcing something or have breaking news, tell your story in a feature wire release that won't bury the heart of it." The service issues stories daily and through a series of packages that target a particular section editor or specialist who cover areas such as education, family issues, health, sports and entertainment. The popularity of the features service with editors has resulted in a ten-fold increase of feature news releases, from 500 releases in the early years to more than 2,200 last year, Ferguson says. "Features are designed to serve editors' needs rather than to solely promote a product or service," says Ferguson. "Features are timeless and sometimes may get lost in the deluge of breaking news." He and colleague Angela Mendola offer these suggestions for developing a feature story: -- Hit editors with the story in the headline, which is all they see in selecting stories. Tell the same story in first paragraph, which should never be cute, soft, a quote or a question. These leads obstruct getting to the story. People, editors included, don't read deep; -- Support the first paragraph with a second that backs it up and provides attribution. Bury the product and service name at the end of the second paragraph so it becomes less advertorial. Mention it when describing the spokesperson and what he or she does; -- Try to keep all paragraphs under 30 words and to three lines. This curbs fulmination, is easier for editors to cut to fit available space, holds the reader's attention and is attractive in most page layouts; -- Do not excessively repeat the name of a product or service. Doing so is story desecration and the feature loses print and broadcast opportunities; -- Forget superlatives. Forget techno babble. Forget buzz words. Tell why consumers care instead; -- Never say anything is first or the best, express an opinion or make claims unless you directly attribute it to someone. Editors avoid anything not pinned to someone; -- Avoid the self-serving laundry list of products or services. A better way to introduce a product or service is to have a spokesperson discussing it as a trend or advising how to use it; -- Discard a telephone number acronym in favor of numerals. It's too promotional for most publications. Put the number in parenthesis at end of paragraph, but never the first paragraph. -- Know that putting the corporate name in all capital letters violates style and will be rejected by many as advertorial and unsightly. Also beware trademark repetition. -- Do not use the corporate identity statement. Instead, use the information throughout the story so that it will be used. If you must use the boilerplate, put it in note to editor so it won't interfere with text; -- Above all, feel free to do what works best as you gain more experience writing features. Ferguson and Mendola, whose background in broadcast media includes work in prime-time network programming, coach PRN members and provides workshops on features around the country. Additional advice on developing features is available from The Feature Desk at http://www.prnewswire.com or in the full feature kit available by mail.