Preparing a concise media fact sheet

A media fact sheet gives a journalist the confirmed facts behind a particular announcement or finding without making them search through promotional copy. State what happened, who it affects, when and where it applies, the basis for important claims, and whom to contact.

Keep conditions that change a fact's meaning beside that fact.

Lead with the confirmed point

Use a heading that names the subject, then a short account of the central change or finding at its supported scope. Describe a plan as planned and put any eligibility or location limit alongside an availability claim.

Group remaining facts under questions a reporter is likely to ask. A product change may need the previous position, current release state, eligible users and effective date. A research finding may need the measured group, period, definition and basis for the result. Leave out company history that does not help explain this story.

Give important claims a checking route

For each consequential point, record its source and the person who can explain it. Name a public record precisely. For an internal record, say what can be shared and who has direct knowledge of it. Keep the unit, denominator, period and material exclusions with a numerical result.

A working sheet can use these fields:

Publish the information in a scannable, usable layout; do not treat the working table as a required public format.

Separate facts from company views

The organisation's reason for a decision can appear on the sheet, labelled as its stated reason. Keep forecasts and targets separate from completed events. Attribute a spokesperson's view and confirm the words with that person. The factual account should still stand without a quotation.

Cut adjectives that imply an unsupported comparison. A description of when a service becomes available to eligible Australian accounts can be checked against release information. A claim to be Australia's leading solution needs a separate, defined comparison and evidence.

Facts vs Company Views in Media Communications

Check the sheet on its own

Ask someone unfamiliar with the announcement to read only the heading, opening and key facts. Can they tell what is confirmed, what remains conditional and which group a number describes? Compare the sheet with current announcement material, chart labels and relevant public information. Resolve conflicting dates or terms before distribution.

Add an issue date or version and a media contact. If a material fact changes, identify the affected line and issue a corrected sheet so earlier recipients know which version to use.