How to Write a Newspaper Graduation Announcement

Some basic information needs to go in any graduation announcement.

All newspaper graduation announcements need to answer the basic questions of who, what, when and where. If you answer all the basic questions in the graduation ad, the newspaper should be able to take it from there. Add any extra information as you see fit, but the basic information must be there for the ad to be effective.

Things You'll Need

• your computer complete with some word-processing program
• working printer
• printer paper

Instructions

1. Write the name of the graduate and the name of his parents. The line can also include the hometown or school of the graduate. For example, the opening sentence could include the phrase, David Jones, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Jones of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

2. Follow the first sentence with the "what," or the graduation news. For example, David Jones, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Jones of Tulsa, Oklahoma, will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts from Oklahoma State University.

3. Explain when the graduation took place. If Jones got his degree in May of 2011, that information should follow the who and what sentence.

4. Follow the "when" graph with where the graduation took place. Name the facility and the city.

5. Fill in any extra information as necessary, such as the main speaker or any honors the graduate received.

References

• Wellesley Public Affairs