A good press release is built on a strong issue statement that defines a specific purpose or problem. Moreover, it provides a clear direction as to where you are taking the audience.

In developing the issue statement, you’ll need to answer four questions posed by public relations expert and teacher Thomas H. Bivins. In his book, Public Relations Writing, Bivins’ says the questions are as follows:

1. What is the problem or opportunity to be addressed?
2. Who are the affected parties? At this point, it is only necessary to list the concerned parties. A precise definition of publics comes later in the planning process.
3. What is the timing of this issue? Is it an issue of immediate concern (one needing to be addressed right now), or impending concern (one that will have to be addressed very soon), or potential concern (one that you are tracking as needing to be addressed in the near future)?
4. What are your (or your organization’s) strengths and weaknesses as regards this issue?

See Bivins’ Public Relations Writing pages 7-8.

Developing an issue statement

I wrote a press release concerning this unique problem:

It is summertime and the community is short on blood donors: college students are going back to their hometown, and it’s vital that volunteers offset the big loss caused by the student’s departure.

Here are the answers that I needed to provide:

Most Obvious Affected Parties

• Hospitals and emergency treatment facilities
• Other members of the blood banking community such as the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB)
• Donors other than college students