Writing a news story from a Press Release
created by Frank Baker
©2004
Background
Everyday, hundreds of thousands of Press Releases (PRs)
are generated by companies hoping that news organizations
(radio, TV, newspapers, magazines, Internet, etc.)
will publish or broadcast its message.
News organizations have to wade through them and decide
if the event/announcement/product is worthy of producing a news story.
This lesson plan is designed to get your students writing a news story
based on an actual press release. In general, students probably have
never been exposed to Press Releases, so the following links may be helpful
to you and them before beginning this exercise:
Writing a Press Release
How to
Write A Great PR
How to
Write a PR Tutorial
http://www.prwire.com/
http://www.businesswire.com
Teachers: Give students the press release in the left hand column.
Ask students to write the news story, as if it were going to be
published in tomorrow's newspaper. They must decide the
headline and they must decide which "facts" they will pull from
the PR to use in the story.
(Notice that the last two paragraphs in the actual news story,
in the right hand column below, contain information NOT in the PR,
but rather from the news organization's past files on this topic.)
After students have presented their news stories, show them the
Reuters version. Ask them if they agree with the choice of that
headline and the general thrust by this writer.
| Actual Press Release | Actual news story from Reuters |
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NEW YORK, Aug. 25 /PRNewswire/ --
www.ziffdavis.com/press/releases/040825.0.html According to Ziff Davis Media's annual "Digital Gaming in America" survey of 1000 randomly selected U.S. households, video gaming has overtaken PC gaming for the first year ever, as 54.5 million households played video games and 52.3 million played PC games. Conducted by Ziff Davis Media's Game Group, publishers of leading titles like Electronic Gaming Monthly, the study reveals a number of surprising shifts in gaming habits and consumer preferences in 2004. The study lends further credence to the observation that video games are pulling consumers away from television. Twenty-six percent reported that their TV viewing had decreased in the last year, and 20% reported that they expect their TV viewing to decrease in the next year. "Not only is mobile gaming strongly on the rise, but consumers' interest in media and advertising in general has begun tipping towards digital games and game-related channels," said Dale Strang, Senior Vice President, Game Group. "Gamers generally preferred magazines and websites over television for their gaming interests, citing magazines as providing credible game reviews and a relaxing experience." One of the leading trends impacting the videogame market is mobile gaming, which continues to rise sharply. According to the study, the number of U.S. households playing cell phone games doubled to 16.3 million in 2004 versus 8.1 million a year ago. Habits of a Portable Gamer According to the study, nearly 70% of video gamers own a cell phone and 50% of these individuals play games on their mobile devices: * More than a quarter (27%) of gamers, and fully 42% of core gamers (gamers who bought at least three games in the previous two months, or who bought at least two games but played 15 or more hours per week) are more likely to purchase a portable gaming system within the next year * 18% purchased games for their cell phones * Spend 17 minutes per gaming session and 4.4 hours per week * Spent an average of $19 dollars in the last 60 days on games for their cell phone * Gamers don't use cell phones to play video games for the following reasons: * 50% cite screen size, cost and the difficulty of playing games on a small device * Over 85% of gamers refer to picture quality * 75% mention improper game controls More broadly, the 2004 study indicates that a significant proportion of video game purchasing now happens online, with video gamers reporting that they buy about 12% of their games online. Used game sales are even stronger, as nearly 70% of gamers reported buying used games, including 16% through online auctions. Methodology Digital Gaming in America 2004 was conducted by the Strategy Group in conjunction with the Strategy Group, an independent research company. One thousand people were polled, randomly, nationwide from May 2004 through June 2004.
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Almost
Half of Video Gamers Cutting TV Use --Study Thu Aug 26, 2004 01:32 PM ET www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=t echnologyNews&storyID=6080974 LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Nearly half of video game players watched less television last year or plan to cut their viewing time this year, according to a report issued on Thursday that lends credence to industry fears that young men are switching off the tube. The Ziff Davis Digital Gaming in America survey found that 26 percent of gamers had cut their TV watching over the last year, and a further 20 percent expect to do so this year. Television ratings provider Nielsen Media ignited a storm of controversy among network executives last fall when it reported a 7.7 percent decline in prime-time viewing by men aged 18 to 34. Nielsen cited growing competition from video games and DVDs. Studies have shown that the average game player is 29 years old. The Ziff study, a random poll of 1,000 people nationwide, was conducted in May and June by the Strategy Group. It is published annually. The research also found that game players are not just sitting in their living rooms. Half said they play games on their cell phones, for an average of 4.4 hours a week. They also spent an average of $19 in the last 60 days on phone games, the study found. Some networks had suggested that Nielsen's sampling was flawed, and Nielsen said about half the decline could be explained by changes in the composition of its ratings sample and in the way it measured data . Earlier this month, Nielsen said viewership
in the first eight weeks of the summer season by men aged 18 to 34 was down
only 3 percent for the four major networks.
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