Three Tips for Writing Quotable Media Statements

I live in the Washington, DC area, where organizations are issuing media statements every day in response to federal policy decisions. In fact, these statements are part of the tens of thousands of news releases issued every day globally.

With that type of volume, your statement needs to stand out for a reporter to even read it, much less include part of it in their story. Here are three tips for making that happen.

1. Keep it Succinct

Your media statement should offer only one or two high-level thoughts on an issue. This may feel uncomfortable, but remember that Abraham Lincoln kept the Gettysburg Address to 271 words. Your statement on a House Committee marking up “X” bill can stay in that range too.

2. Make Every Paragraph a Standalone Quote

Any reporter using your statement is going to find a paragraph that fits their story and cut and paste it. With that in mind, keep each paragraph to one to two sentences maximum and have it be a full thought.

3. Be Interesting

This requires knowing what your organization will allow, but use that leeway to your advantage. For example, if you have a CEO who likes colorful metaphors or analogies, run with it. 

That being said, all these tips are for naught if your statement does not reach reporters quickly so treat this like a race against the clock. Spend no more than an hour on your draft before circulating it through the review process, which will often be your biggest hurdle to success.