How to write a basic Media Release for Performances

When marketing an upcoming performance, a media release is an effective way of getting the word out to local media, who may provide coverage for the event.

A media release alerts the local newspapers, TV stations, radio stations and magazines that an event is coming and is often sent in the hope that organisations will want to conduct an interview for more in-depth coverage of the production. However, it is important to realise that many media releases are simply published almost word-for-word, which makes it all the more important to ensure the correct information is included.

The overall goal of your media release is to include all of the important information about the event in one or two pages – the shorter and more concise, the more likely a media organisation will run the release.

Many performing arts organisations will provide at least a template for a release, which makes the job easier, however you still want to ensure you are including the relevant details to your venue’s performance/season.

  1. The first step is to have a headline that will immediately attract attention.
  2. The first paragraph of the release should include the name of the performance, the date and venue, along with a short description of the performance.
  3. From there, you can go on to describe the performance in greater detail. For example, you could include:
    – quotes from cast members/directors/other crew members; and
    – more information about the plot if applicable.
  4. Reviews from critics about the performance are also valuable and should stand alone amongst the paragraphs so that they easily stand out.
  5. An important point to remember is that each paragraph should be independent from the others, so that if a media organisation chooses to run the release but wants to cut information for space reasons, the release will still make sense.
  6. You may also choose to include background information about the company presenting the production, or biographies of the cast and crew members.
  7. The final paragraph of the release is where you should state all of the important details, including dates, times, venues, ticket prices and ticketing information.

Take a look at this example of a Media Release by clicking here…

Download Resources:

pdf 1 MB Media release example