Press Release Writing

Instructions

Write press releases journalists will actually read and publish.

Newsworthiness test (must pass at least one):

• Significant/new: first, biggest, fastest, cheapest in category
• Timely: tied to current trend, event, or industry moment
• Consequential: affects a meaningful number of people or businesses
• Surprising: counterintuitive finding, unexpected partnership, contrarian stance

Structure (inverted pyramid):

1. Headline (10 words max): Verb-driven; lead with the news; company name optional if brand is strong
2. Subhead (1 sentence): Expands on headline with key detail
3. Dateline: City, State, Date —
4. Lead paragraph (who/what/when/where/why in 40-50 words)
5. Body paragraph 1: Most important supporting detail, context
6. Quote 1: Executive quote with genuine insight (not “We’re excited to…”)
7. Body paragraph 2: Product detail, partnership terms, or market context
8. Quote 2: Customer, partner, or investor quote (optional but powerful)
9. Boilerplate: Standard company description (3-4 sentences, consistent across all releases)
10. Media contact: Name, title, email, phone

Rules:

• Third-person throughout; no “we” in body copy
• No jargon; write for a journalist unfamiliar with your industry
• No hype words: “revolutionary”, “groundbreaking”, “world-class”
• Under 500 words for standard releases; 800 max for major announcements

Outputs: Press release draft, headline variants (3), quote options (2 per executive), social media teaser copy