The following editorial guidelines are here to help you understand what we accept and don't accept for inclusion in the PressMediaWire News Network. Before you submit to our service, we'd appreciate if you read this page first.

1. Requirements for All News Releases:

To be qualified for PressMediaWire, a news release:

1. Must only provide information that is usable and reliable and must not distort the truth.
2. Must be written as a news announcement, and not as an advertisement. This means you cannot write copy that attempts to sell something to the reader. Remember, a news release is meant to inform the public (consumers, bloggers, and journalists) of a newsworthy event. You cannot say things like "Do you need...", or "If you want to...", or "Your company can...", or anything specifically directed to the reader.

   You may use quotes to convey your purpose, mission, and message. For example: "We are very excited to have Ms. Jane Smith join our company and look forward to her contributions to our education, research and economic development missions," said Mr. Isaac Aboagye of PressMediaWire, Inc.)

   If your submission reads like an advertisement, it will be held until it's fixed.

3. Must not be an article, open letter, or reader opinion piece. News informs the public of an event, while articles try to educate the reader on a matter.
4. Must be newsworthy. Not everything that happens to your organization requires a press release. Maintaining credibility with your customers and the media is very important.
5. Must have proper English, spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalization and sentence structure.
6. Must not contain information on: hacking/cracking content, auto-surf program or promotion, bomb creation, support for terrorism / radicalism / religious fanaticism, illicit drugs or drug paraphernalia, steroid use or advocacy, weapon / firearms / ammunition.
7. Must not contain or promote adult content or service, hate or violence-oriented, suggest racial intolerance, advocate against any individual, have insulting-obscene-degrading tone, or contain profanity.
8. Must NOT contain any information that is a violation of any law, be considered defamatory, libelous, or infringes on the legal rights of others.
9. Must NOT promote a lawsuit or settlement and/or calculated to be sensational and damaging. We still accept news releases from law firms promoting new hires, new practice ares, new office locations, etc.
10. DUPLICATES and Templates: Must NOT be a submission of the exact or substantially similar news release as one that you already submitted. Some members have submitted the same news release multiple times with only a few words changed in the headline or body -- we reject these and ban members who engage in this practice.
11. Must not promote a website that offers no unique content or information. This means we do not accept news releases that promote MLM businesses, or affiliate websites.
12. Copyright and Violations - PressMediaWire strictly forbids the use of copyrighted material in any manner that violates the copyright owner's rights. In cases where copyright is disputed, the disputed press release will be immediately removed without recourse or discussion, regardless of the arguments presented by the disputing parties. Authors should also know that there is noteworthy personal exposure if they are found in any violation of copyright laws. Individuals who violate copyright law are legally responsible and subject to probable fines.
    
       We look forward to a long and successful future as your partner in press release distribution over the internet.

PRESS RELEASE FORMAT

XYZ, Inc. Announces Widget to Maximize Customer Response Rate

This headline is one of the most important components of the press release as this needs to "grab the attention" of the editor. It should be in bold type and a font that is larger than the body text. Preferred type fonts are Arial, Times New Roman, or Verdana. Keep the headline to 80-125 characters maximum. Capitalize every word with the exception of "a", "the" "an" or any word that is three characters or less.

<City>, <State>, <Date> - Your first paragraph of the release should be written in a clear and concise manner. The opening sentence contains the most important information; keep it to 25 words or less. Never take for granted that the reader has read your headline. It needs contain information that will "entice" the reader. Remember, your story must be newsworthy and factual; don't make it a sales pitch or it will end up in the trash.

Answer the questions "who", "what", "when", "where", "why" and "how". Your text should include pertinent information about your product, service or event. If writing about a product, make sure to include details on when the product is available, where it can be purchased and the cost. If you're writing about an event, include the date, location of the event and any other pertinent information. You should include a quote from someone that is a credible source of information; include their title or position with the company, and why they are considered a credible source. Always include information on any awards they have won, articles they've published or interviews they have given.

Keep your sentences and paragraphs short; a paragraph should be no more than 3-4 sentences. Your release should be between 500 to 800 words, written in a word processing program, and spell checked for errors. Don't forget to proofread for grammatical errors. The mood of the release should be factual, not hyped; don't use a sales pitch as it will ruin your credibility with the reader.

The last paragraph before the company information should read: For additional information on (put in the subject of this release), contact "name" or visit www.yoururl.com. If you offer a sample, copy or demo, put the information in here. You can also include details on product availability, trademark acknowledgment, etc. in this area of the release.

ABOUT <COMPANY> - Include a brief description of your company along with the products and services it provides.

CONTACT:
Contact Person
Company Name
Voice Phone Number
FAX Number
Email Address
Website URL

- END -

At the end of the release, you need to indicate that the release is ended. This lets the journalists know they have received the entire release. Type "End" on the first line after your text is completed. If your release goes over one page, type "MORE" at the bottom of the first page.