How to Format a Media Alert

By Dana Sotoodeh

Although Team Snackbox has already discussed the difference between a media alert and a news release and given you the proper instructions on what should be included in each, it’s important to know the correct formatting for a media alert.

You know the basics—A media alert as stated in our previous blog, should cover only the basics that the reporter or editors need to know. These are the 5 W’s—Who, What, Where, Why, and What.

The formatting is just as much of an art as the content within. The format should look similar to this:

Letterhead

Title of Media Alert ( make sure this is bolded and attention grabbing)

Who

What

Where

When

Why

Contact Information

Each of these five bullets should contain a sentence or two that gets right to the point about the event that is going to take place. Remember that media alerts will often highlight an upcoming event and provide just enough information for the media to want to attend.

It’s imperative to keep media alerts to one page so that media can grab and take their information as quickly as possible.