Reporters are taught from Day One to always get pertinent details. Like the name of the cat that died in a housefire. Or the height of the basketball star who hit his head on the top of a doorway and had a concussion.
This amusing post by the Poynter Institute titled “Get the name of that bra” reminds us of the importance of providing details in virtually anything we write for the media. That includes press releases, your bio, your online presskit, how-to articles, letters to the editor, even photo captions that you’re submitting.
It’s much easier for a journalist to take out details than it is for them to call you on the phone, wait for you to return the call, then finally get the little detail they need to complete a story.
