Individually prepare a press release on the Mexican border issue. Use the lesson seven congressional hearing video as a guide. Public
releases from the government must be factual and designed to inform not deceive. Still, administration hopes are always to use press
releases to persuade businesses, politicians, foreign governments, the media, and the public.
Reflect the administration’s policies and actions in your press release. Use the following guidelines:
RULE #1: Use the press release to reflect the positive aspects of a policy. The idea is to communicate a message to the public and
constituents, media, etc. through the vehicle of a print or online article. The intent is to build the authority and credibility of the
policy.
RULE #2: Have a newsworthy story. To get your message communicated through the publication, you need to convince the public and media that
your message (or the story surrounding it) is newsworthy. So it’s got to have appeal to the entire readership of the publication.
RULE #3: Write it like a reporter would write it. If your press release looks and feels like a real article, reporters will often just
file it as a story with minimal editing. Reporters generally follow a rule: tell me what you’re going to say; say it; tell me what you’ve
said. This is the formula you should use for your press release. It’s up to you to make sure that your press release looks and reads like
a real news article.
RULE #4: Provide some good quotes. Don’t provide a quote that is a series of political cliches. Use a quote that is something memorable
and personal, if possible. (Example: Media asked Ronald Reagan if he thought his age would impact his ability to be president Answer:
Ronald Reagan – “I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and
inexperience.”)
A press release always ends with ### centered in the page. (I have no idea why.)
The Press Release: There are detailed directions on how to do this in your lesson. I strongly recommend you use the topic of the
interagency exercise (security at the border) as the subject for your press release. It should be written from the position of you being
the government. It should be less than one complete single spaced page. It must be free of spelling and grammar mistakes.
Lesson seven Video: