3 - The headline
A news statement has a headline, like a news story. A good headline for a release is (of course) short (one line, no more), eye-catching without being too clever or cryptic, and should clearly derive from the main story that the release is selling.
GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY ISSUES FIELDWORK CODE OF PRACTICE
Is perfectly factual, but rather dull and would be guaranteed to kill the story.
Would probably do, in that it is at least slightly tempting, and the main message could be reserved for line one of paragraph one.
Would attract attention, though perhaps the implication that here is another pompous attempt to swaddle everyone in cotton wool out of fear of the compo culture (unlike the good old days when the song to which it alludes was released) is perhaps a little inappropriate.
GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY ISSUES FIELDWORK CODE OF PRACTICE
Is perfectly factual, but rather dull and would be guaranteed to kill the story.
BEWARE FALLING ROCKS, WARNS GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY
Would probably do, in that it is at least slightly tempting, and the main message could be reserved for line one of paragraph one.
IF YOU HAVE A HAMMER – WEAR APPROPRIATE EYE-PROTECTION
Would attract attention, though perhaps the implication that here is another pompous attempt to swaddle everyone in cotton wool out of fear of the compo culture (unlike the good old days when the song to which it alludes was released) is perhaps a little inappropriate.