COPY-EDITING MESSAGE RELEASES AND NEWSWIRE COPY

LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Identify the methods used in copy editing message releases and newswire copy.

A message is an official communication in brief form transmitted by rapid means such as telegraph, radio, flashing light, flaghoist or semaphore. A message is usually received by a command's communications department, reproduced, then distributed to staff members of departments concerned. It is tersely written, contains many abbreviations and is printed in capital letters.

However, when operations and time permit, timely news releases are transmitted in news style and contain all the information necessary for a good news story. Sentences are grammatically complete, including the necessary articles, adjectives and adverbs. A good message news release is very similar to newswire copy as it arrives in a radio, television or newspaper newsroom. It requires only copy editing and duplicating to get it ready for release to news media.

Figure 6-3. - Copy-edited message news release.

A message news release is designated by the acronvm PRESREL, which is a standard Navy communications abbreviation for press release. In the same line as PRESREL are the date and time (date-time group) the release was transmitted. For example: PRESREL 211802Z JUL93. In this case, the story was sent on the 21st day of July, 1993, at 1802. The"Z" represents Greenwich Mean Time. The use of a different letter here would indicate local time in the area where the story originated.

All message releases are for immediate release unless otherwise designated. Occasionally, circumstances may dictate the use of such releasing instructions as: HOLD FOR RELEASE UNTIL (date and time), FOR SECURITY REVIEW AND RELEASE or FOR SIMULTANEOUS RELEASE. (Here, fill in the appropriate data.)

Because message news releases arrive printed in capital letters, you use a different system for copy editing. You must assume that all the capital letters are lowercase and begin your copy editing from there. In other words,any time you want to capitalize a letter you must underscore it three times. An example of a copy-edited message news release appears in figure 6-3.