Press Release
A
press release is a document use
d for external communication. It is used to communicate to the press
(newspapers) any information that an organisation wants to bring to the notice
of the public by getting it published in a newspaper. The purpose is to improve
the image of the organisation among the people. The job of preparing a press
release and sending it to the press is entrusted to the public relations
department of the organisation. Whenever an important event which has the
potential of enhancing the reputation of an organisation takes place, the Public
Relations department prepares a press release and sends it either directly tp
the editor or to a correspondent. There are a whole lot of things happening in
a business organisation which the management wants to bring to the notice of
the people and thus get some mileage out of it. It may be the merger of two
organisations, a taking over of one organisation by another, a plan for
expansion, the launching of a new product or plant, a visit by a VIP, bagging
of a big order, getting an important contract, organising a conference or
seminar, organising a social welfare event, or sponsorship of some cultural or
sports event.
The effort always is to paint the organisation in the brightest of
colours. However, a press release has to be based on facts. Attempts at
glossing things over are there sometimes but the best thing is to stick to the
facts. Giving wrong information is considered unethical.
It is not binding on the press to publish the information so provided.
The newspaper people apply their own standards to decide whether the
information provided to them is newsworthy or not. They may or may not publish
it. If they find it newsworthy, they may publish it as it is provided or edit
it before publishing it.
A
good press release should be newsworthy, factually true, brief and to the
point, written in simple, conversational language, and not offensive to the
public taste. It should be suitable to be published in the newspaper or journal
to which it is sent and be comprehensive in the sense that it should not leave
out any piece of important information. It should be given a catchy heading. The
first one or two paragraphs should give the gist of the information in an
interesting language without going in great detail. The details should be given
in the subsequent paragraphs.
Press Report
A press report is a document
similar in purpose to but different in origin from a press release. The press
release is a document prepared by the PR people of an organisation and sent to
the press for publication. A press note, on the other hand, is prepared by a
representative of the press – a correspondent of a newspaper or a news agency. Sometimes,
representatives personally cover an event on being given the assignment by
their employer or on their own or on the invitation of the organisation
concerned and prepare a report on the basis of their observation. More often,
they write it on the basis of the press release made available to them by the
organisation. It makes their job easier. They have readymade material to use.
They have just to give some finishing touches, refine the language, or edit the
language to reduce the length so as to make it suit fit in the space that can
be made available.
Telegram
A telegram is used to
transmit a message quickly in an emergent situation where delay can be disastrous
or can at least cause inconvenience. It is a wireless message transmitted by
using a code based on difference combinations of dots and dashes.
It is a costly means of
communication and is therefore resorted to only ion an emergency. Every word
and punctuation sign that is transmitted has to be paid for. Not only the words
in the message, but also those in the address, are counted for the purpose of
calculating the charges. The name of the addressee, even if it contains more
words than one, is counted as one word. Therefore, while drafting a telegram,
an effort is made to minimise the number of words without sacrificing the intelligibility
of the message. Instead of the punctuation signs, their names are used. From
example, the word stop is written in place of the dot normally used in writing
as the full stop.
A telegram generally
consists of the following four parts:
1.
Address – The address of the receiver is written
here.
2.
Classification – We have to indicate here
whether the telegram is ordinary or express or belongs to some other kind given
higher priority. The greater the priority, the higher are the charges. An
express telegram is charged at a higher rate than an ordinary one as it is
given priority in transmission as well as in delivery over an ordinary one.
3.
Message – Here, the information to be
communicated is written in as few words as possible. Care has to be taken,
however, that the attempt at economising by reducing the number of words should
not result in misunderstanding or miscommunication. Brevity must not be at the
cost of clarity.
For the sake of brevity, the rules of grammar are disregarded. Only the
important words necessary to make the intention clear are written. Sometimes,
abbreviations like the ones used these days on the social media like sms are
also used to keep the message brief and reduce the cost. For example, by
writing asap instead of as soon as possible, we can reduce the number of words
from four to one.
4.
Sender’s Address (not to be transmitted) – Here,
the sender of the message gives his or her own address. This address is only
for the purpose of record. It is not transmitted. Therefore, the sender does
not have to pay for the words in the address given here. But the name of the
sender has to be written in the message if we want it to be transmitted.
A telegram may also be sent with the help of a telephone. In that case,
it is called a phonogram.
In India, a telegraphic message is called a telegram if it is to be sent
within the country. But if it is to be sent abroad, it is called a cable.
Notices Published in Newspapers
Lost and Found Notices
LOST
Sometimes, when people happen to lose some article, they
publish a notice in one or more newspapers commonly read in the area where the
article is lost as a means of finding the lost article. The newspaper charges
money for publishing the notice. Therefore, such a notice has to be kept as
brief as possible. But unlike in a telegram, grammatical rules are not given a
go by in this case. A LOST NOTICE must contain the following information:
1.
The name of the lost article.
2.
The place where it was lost.
3.
The time of losing it.
4.
A complete description of the article clear
enough to assure the finder that it belongs to you.
5.
The name and address of the person giving the
notice so that the finder may be able to return the article.
6.
A promise to reimburse the cost that the finder
may incur in returning the article.
7.
An offer of a reward. This is, however,
voluntary. One may or may not offer a reward. But people often do so.
Found
Some honest and conscientious people who care for the
feelings of those who happen to lose an important or valuable article also take
the trouble and expense of publishing a notice in a newspaper in an attempt to locate
the owner of the article of the article they have found and return it them.
This is generally done when the article found is an important document or
something of high monetary or sentimental value.
In this case too, the notice has to be kept brief as the
charges for its publication depend on the space that the notice may occupy in
the newspaper. But as clarity is important, grammatical rules are not ignored
and the language is kept simple. A FOUND NOTICE must contain the following
information:
1.
The name of the article
2.
A clear description of the article so that the
loser may be able to decide whether the article found is the one that he has
lost. But the description must not be so comprehensive as to enable a cheat to
claim it.
3.
The place where it was found
4.
The time of finding
5.
His name and the address where he can be contacted
by the loser
6.
The conditions for satisfying him that the
article really belongs to the person who is claiming it.
7.
The condition, if any, for returning it to the
owner.
Auction Notice
Sometimes, people who want to sell something
through public auction in order to get the best possible price also publish a
notice in the newspapers informing the intending buyers and inviting them to
participate in the bidding process.
An auction notice must contain the
following information:
1.
The name and description of the good/goods to be
auctioned
2.
The quantity / number of the good/goods to be
auctioned
3.
The condition of the good/goods to be auctioned
in some cases like machinery (whether it is in running condition or not.
4.
In some cases, the age of the goods indicating
how old it is.
5.
The date place and time of auction.
6.
The clarification that the goods will be sold on
as is where is basis
7.
The amount of earnest money if any This is
necessary to ensure that only genuine bidders take part in the bidding process
8.
The mode of payment of earnest money (Whether by
DD or crossed cheque or in cash
9.
The place where the goods can be examined and
the timings for the purpose
10.
How the
earnest money will be adjusted or refunded after the auction
Obituary Notice
The purpose of an obituary notice is to
inform the people of the recent death of a person. Such a notice is generally
published by the close relatives of the deceased. Besides the information about
the day and date of the death, it may also mention briefly the circumstances
that led to the death – whether the death came after a long illness, a brief
illness, as a result of a heart attack or as a result of an accident. A brief
account of the life and achievements of the deceased person is also sometimes
included. The date and time of cremation/burial etc. is also given so that the
people who have been close to the person may be able to attend it. If the funeral rites have already been performed, it gives the day and date fixed for the final prayer for the departed soul.
The obituary notice is published as a
classified advertisement. The newspaper charges depend on basis of the space (the
number of column lines) taken by it. Normally, to keep the charges low, an
effort is made to keep it as brief as possible by including in it only the
necessary information regarding the fact of death and the date and time of the
last rites like the cremation or burial.
There is another kind of notice related to
the death of a person often seen in the newspapers. It is called the Death
Notice or the Notice of Death. It should not be confused with the obituary
notice. Its purpose is to satisfy a legal formality for purposes like
inheritance. The important difference between it and the obituary notice is
that while the obituary notice is generally published immediately after the
death to give information about the death, the cremation/ burial or the day and
date of the final prayer for the dead (like the bhog ceremony) so that people
may attend it as a mark of respect for the deceased, the purpose of the Death
Notice is only to fulfil a legal requirement and is published long after the
death to invite possible objections to a matter like inheritance. So, no mention is made in it of the day fixed for the last rites or the final prayer as these have already become a thing of the past.
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