Editor’s press release of the month | UN Women Australia to mark International Women's Day today across Australia

Every press release that flows through Medianet is seen by our in-house editorial team and on average, half of them are then pitched to major newsrooms across Australia for their newsworthiness. What makes these press releases so successful? And what makes the difference between getting your story picked up or getting left behind? 

In our series, 'Editor's press release of the month', our Editorial Services Lead will break down one of the most successful press releases that month to help us understand how to make our press releases more impactful. This month's pick is a timely press release from UN Women Australia.
 

Headline & opening paragraph

MEDIA ALERT: UN Women Australia to mark International Women's Day today across Australia
From the short and sharp heading announcing a media alert, to the snappy first paragraph containing the vital information journalists look for in a press release, UN Women Australia has proven why their events are among the largest celebrations of International Women’s Day across Australia.

Content

UN Women Australia is right on the money with this year’s IWD theme ‘Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress’ by headlining the new Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, Michele Bullock, in an exclusive virtual presentation, along with an impressive list of inspiring and pioneering Australian women. 

This release also follows our best practice guide for structure and length, with the easy-to-read listing of events around the country a nice touch to finish up the press release.

Angle

Blending almost all of the 7 news values of prominence, impact, conflict, relevance, proximity and timeliness by having the RBA’s new Governor comment on her passion for inclusion and equality in leadership and how she plans to navigate us out of the cost-of-living crisis.

Pro-tip: timing 

UN Women Australia began their 2024 IWD campaign by sending their first press release over a month before the event on 2 February, giving newsrooms ample time to delegate resources and add the nationwide events to their planning calendars. 

Level-up opportunity

It is a case of burying the lede (lead angle) with ‘The Count Her In: Key Statistics’ almost getting lost in the About sections. Ideally, these key statistics would appear at the beginning of the release before the first paragraph to create a sense of impact. We also recommend attaching images or graphics to the press release rather than embedded links to really catch the attention of journalists. (Image attachments are at no cost when distributing to Australia and NZ with Medianet).