Press Release Writing

Document Structure

Standard Layout

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                          [or: EMBARGOED UNTIL: Date/Time]

HEADLINE
SUBHEADLINE (optional)

CITY, STATE, Month Day, Year — Lead paragraph...

Body paragraph 1...

Body paragraph 2 (quote)...

Body paragraph 3...

Second quote paragraph...

Boilerplate ("About [Company]")...

###   [indicates end of release]

MEDIA CONTACT:
Name
Title
Company
Phone
Email

Headline Formula

The Headline Must Do Three Things

1. State what happened
2. Imply why it matters
3. Use the company or product name

Headline Formulas

[Company] [Verb] [Specific Thing] [Context/Impact]

Examples:

• "Acme Corp Launches AI-Powered Fraud Detection for Community Banks"
• "Brightfield Raises $22M Series B to Expand Workforce Intelligence Platform"
• "MedTrack Earns FDA Clearance for Remote Patient Monitoring Device"

Rules:

• Headline case: Title Case (capitalize all major words)
• Maximum 100–120 characters
• Do not start with the company name alone — lead with the news
• No exclamation points
• No superlatives ("best," "leading," "revolutionary") — these are marketing language
• Headline is in present tense ("Launches," "Raises," "Announces")

Subheadline

• Adds one layer of specificity not in the headline
• Sentence case (only first word and proper nouns capitalized)
• Maximum 160 characters
• Written in present or future tense

Lead Paragraph

The Lead Formula

[Company name], [brief description], today [announced/launched/released] [what],
[context or significance], [date/location if relevant].

Example:

"Acme Corp, a provider of AI fraud detection software for financial institutions, today launched FraudGuard 3.0, its most advanced detection platform to date, reducing false positive rates by 40% for banks under $5 billion in assets."

Lead Rules

• One paragraph, maximum 40–50 words
• Must contain: who, what, when, where, why
• No jargon or acronyms in the lead — define later if needed
• Write it so that if a journalist only reads this one paragraph, they understand the story

Body Paragraphs

Paragraph 2: Significance and Context

Expand on the "why it matters." Provide market context, problem being solved, or timing significance.

• 2–3 sentences
• Include a data point if available (market size, customer count, growth metric)
• No bullet points in the body — press releases use paragraphs

Paragraph 3: First Quote

Quote rules:

• Attribute to a specific named executive (CEO, CTO, or most relevant leader)
• The quote should say something only that person can say — perspective, opinion, strategy
• Never use a quote to state a fact ("Our product has 500 features" is not a quote)
• Never use hollow enthusiasm ("We are thrilled and excited to announce...")
• Quotes are in past tense when reporting ("said"), present tense when the quote itself speaks

Weak quote:

"We are really excited about this launch," said Jane Smith, CEO of Acme Corp. "We think it's going to be a great product for our customers."

Strong quote:

"Community banks have been underserved by enterprise fraud tools that weren't built for their transaction volumes," said Jane Smith, CEO of Acme Corp. "FraudGuard 3.0 changes that equation — and the 40% reduction in false positives means compliance teams can focus on real threats."

Paragraph 4: Product/Announcement Details

Specifics of what is being announced. Features, pricing, availability, partnerships, metrics.

Paragraph 5: Second Quote (optional)

Customer, partner, or industry analyst quote adds third-party credibility.

Boilerplate ("About" Section)

Every press release ends with a standard company description. This is the boilerplate.

Boilerplate Template

About [Company Name]
[Company Name] [what the company does, one sentence]. [Founded/established year],
[company] serves [customer type] across [geography/markets].
[Key differentiator or proof point — customer count, revenue, recognition].
For more information, visit [website].

Boilerplate rules:

• 50–80 words maximum
• Written in third person
• Factual — no marketing language
• Must include website URL
• Keep it updated — review quarterly

AP Style Basics for Press Releases

Numbers

• Spell out one through nine; use numerals for 10 and above
• Exception: Always use numerals for ages, percentages, money, measurements
• Percentages: Use numerals + "percent" (not the % symbol) in running text
• Money: $5 million (not $5,000,000 in running text)
• $1.2 billion, $750,000 — no abbreviations like "K" or "M" in formal text

Dates and Times

• Month abbreviations: Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec. (March, April, May, June, July are never abbreviated)
• Date format: January 15, 2025 (no ordinals — not "January 15th")
• Time: 10 a.m., 2:30 p.m. (lowercase, with periods)
• Time zones: EST, PST, CST (no periods in time zone abbreviations)

Titles

• Formal titles before a name are capitalized: Chief Executive Officer Jane Smith
• Titles after a name are lowercase: Jane Smith, chief executive officer
• Long titles before names use a comma: Jane Smith, chief executive officer of Acme Corp, said...

Company Names

• Use the company's official capitalization (e.g., eBay, iPhone, GitHub)
• Do not add "Inc." or "Corp." after the first reference unless the full legal name is required

Quotation Marks

• Periods and commas go inside quotation marks
• "The product is ready," said Smith. (period inside)

Distribution Checklist

Before Sending

• Embargo instructions or "For Immediate Release" at the top
• Headline is factual, not promotional
• Lead paragraph answers all five Ws in under 50 words
• At least one named quote from a company executive
• Quote expresses perspective — not a restatement of facts
• Boilerplate is current and accurate
• "###" end marker present
• Media contact information complete (name, phone, email)
• All claims are verifiable and approved
• Wire service formatting requirements met (if using PR Newswire, BusinessWire, etc.)

Distribution Targets

• Industry trade publications (most relevant for product launches)
• Local business press (for funding, hiring, local expansion)
• National business press (for significant funding rounds, major partnerships)
• Direct journalist outreach (personalized pitch email accompanies the release)
• Company newsroom / blog (publish the release as a page on your website)