The 5 W’s and 1 “H…” Preparing a “News Release”

If you have information that you would like others to find out about, this article is something that will help you prepare. Whether you are thinking about explaining an event, or your life, the requirements are the same.

Many people ask me “what do I need to do to make a web site?” There are many different strategies and scores of ways to design a web site. As an artist, you probably want to talk about your art or portfolio, yourself and your training or discipline, the shows that you might have or the awards that you might have received and just what “drives” your work.

You would also want to make sure that people could get in touch with you so that they could see your work “in person” or be able to buy something of yours that they like. If all of this seems a little daunting to you, just remember that there is a simple way to keep it all organized. It is the same way that most journalism is still done.

It is called “The Five W’s (and One H.) Who, What, Where, When, Why, How

Rudyard Kipling wrote a poem about it. Here it is:

I keep six honest serving-men

(They taught me all I knew);

Their names are What and Why and When

And How and Where and Who.

In investigative journalism, as well as marketing, if you answer these questions about yourself or your product, you will do a great service to your customer. If you look at our newsletter, you will see that we answer those questions in every bit of information that we convey. Sometimes, we save the “How” for the classroom, but that is the format we use.

SO… If you want to get the “word” out about yourself, start thinking about answering those questions to anyone you might meet. This will help you get a better idea of who you are and what your goals are. This will help you direct your focus in what you would like to accomplish in your work and for yourself in the coming year.

Remember, even though it might seem overwhelming at the beginning, just keep at it. It is an iterative process. Step-by-step. You can do it, even if you have to do it in “baby steps.” The spirit of your creativity will see you through. Accomplishing any objective is possible, you have the resources within you to make it happen.

How do you eat an Elephant? One bite at a time!

COPY THE INFORMATION BELOW, ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS AND YOU WILL HAVE A NEWS RELEASE!

WHO: (Who is involved?)
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WHAT: (What is the event or issue?)
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WHY: (Why are we doing this?)
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WHERE: (Where is this going to take place?)
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WHEN: (When is this happening and what time or times?)
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HOW: (How did this happen or come about?)
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