Most press releases are written for the company, not for the journalist — and that is exactly why they get ignored. They open with how proud everyone is, bury the actual news three paragraphs down, and pad the rest with adjectives no reporter will ever quote. A press release that earns coverage does the opposite: it leads with genuine news, says it plainly, and makes a busy journalist's job easier. The writing is not hard once you accept that the reader is a skeptical reporter on a deadline, not your CEO.
The short version: start with a real newsworthy angle, write a headline that states the news clearly, put the most important facts in the first paragraph, support them with a real quote and the relevant details, and keep the whole thing tight. If there is no news, no amount of polish will save it. Everything below is how to get each part right.
Start with the news, not the release
Before you write a word, answer one question honestly: is this actually newsworthy? A press release is a format, not a magic wand — it cannot manufacture news that is not there. "We exist" and "we are excited" are not news. Journalists cover things that are new, surprising, useful to their readers, or connected to something already in the conversation.
Pressure-test your angle against three questions:
- Why now? Is there a launch, a milestone, a piece of data, a hire, or a timely event that makes this matter today?
- Why would a reader care? Can someone outside your company learn something, do something differently, or understand a trend better because of this?
- Is it true and verifiable? Every claim needs to hold up. Inflated or unverifiable assertions destroy credibility instantly.
If you cannot clear all three, the problem is the news, not the writing. Find a sharper angle — often the real story is a data point, a customer outcome, or a trend your news illustrates — before you start drafting.
Write a headline that gets opened
The headline does most of the work, because it decides whether anyone reads the rest. Treat it like a news headline, not a marketing tagline: state the actual news as clearly and specifically as you can.
A strong release headline is:
- Specific. "Company X launches free tool that cuts invoicing time in half" beats "Company X announces exciting new product."
- Plain. Skip jargon, superlatives, and buzzwords. "Revolutionary," "world-class," and "game-changing" signal hype and get tuned out.
- Front-loaded. Put the most important, most concrete information first, so the news survives even if the headline is truncated in an inbox.
A short, clear subheadline can add one supporting detail, but resist the urge to cram. If a journalist cannot tell what happened from your headline alone, rewrite it.
Lead with the most important facts
Journalists read in an inverted pyramid: the most important information first, then supporting detail, then background. Write your release the same way, because a reporter may use only the first paragraph — and may stop reading there if it does not deliver.
Your opening paragraph should answer the core questions up front: who, what, when, where, and why it matters. State the news in the first sentence or two, plainly, without throat-clearing. The classic failure is opening with "Founded in a garage in 2015, Company X has always believed..." — by the time the reader reaches the news, they are gone.
Once the lede has done its job, the body fills in the detail: how it works, the relevant numbers, the context that makes the news significant. Each paragraph should be able to be cut from the bottom without breaking the release — that is what the inverted pyramid buys you, and it is exactly how editors trim.
Use quotes and boilerplate well
Two standard elements appear in nearly every release, and both are usually wasted.
Quotes should add something a fact cannot — insight, context, or a human perspective. A good quote sounds like a real person explaining why this matters. The default corporate quote ("We are thrilled to announce this exciting milestone in our journey") says nothing and gets cut every time. Make the quote worth quoting: have the spokesperson explain the why behind the news, not just react to it.
Boilerplate is the short "About [Company]" paragraph at the end. Keep it to a few factual sentences — what the company does, who it serves, and where to learn more. It belongs at the bottom, not the top, and it should never be the most prominent thing in the release.
Include clear contact details — a real name, email, and ideally phone — and offer assets (images, data, a spokesperson for interview) as links or on request rather than heavy attachments that get filtered to spam.
Keep the format clean and tight
Journalists scan, so structure and length matter as much as content.
- Length. Aim for roughly 300 to 500 words for the core release. Long enough to deliver the news and proof, short enough to respect a reporter's time.
- Structure. Headline, optional subheadline, dateline and strong opening paragraph, two or three body paragraphs, a quote, boilerplate, and contact details — in that order.
- Plain language. Short sentences, concrete facts, and active voice. Cut every adjective that is not load-bearing.
- One news per release. Trying to announce three things at once dilutes all of them. Pick the strongest and lead with it.
The test for the whole thing: could a journalist skim it in 30 seconds and know exactly what the story is and why their readers would care? If not, tighten until they can.
From writing to coverage
Writing the release is half the job; getting it to the right people is the other half. Even a perfect release earns nothing if it lands in the wrong inboxes or no inbox at all. Once your release is sharp, the next step is getting it to journalists who actually cover your space — our press release distribution guide covers wire services versus direct outreach, building a targeted list, and timing. As a rule, a release sent to a small list of relevant reporters with a personalized note outperforms one blasted to thousands of unrelated outlets.
FAQ
What makes a press release newsworthy?
News that is genuinely new, surprising, useful to readers, or tied to a current trend or event — and that is verifiable. A launch, a meaningful milestone, original data, a notable hire, or a timely response to something in the news can all qualify. "We exist" or "we are excited" cannot, no matter how it is written.
How long should a press release be?
Around 300 to 500 words for the core release. That is enough to deliver the news, a supporting quote, and the key facts while respecting a journalist's time. If you need more, link to a press kit or offer detail on request rather than padding the release.
How do I write a good press release headline?
State the actual news clearly and specifically, in plain language, with the most important information first. Avoid superlatives and jargon like "revolutionary" or "game-changing." A reader should know exactly what happened from the headline alone.
What should the first paragraph include?
The core of the story: who, what, when, where, and why it matters — stated plainly in the first sentence or two. Lead with the news, not your company history, because many journalists read only the opening paragraph and may use only that.
Do quotes in a press release matter?
Yes, when they add something a fact cannot — insight or context about why the news matters. Generic "we are thrilled" quotes get cut. A quote that explains the reasoning or significance behind the news is far more likely to be used.
Next step
Before you draft anything, write down your angle in one sentence and pressure-test it: why now, why a reader would care, and whether every claim is verifiable. If it holds up, build the headline and first paragraph around that single clear news, keep the release tight, and make a real quote earn its place. Get the news and the writing right first — then worry about getting it in front of the right journalists.
Ready to turn a strong release into real coverage? Explore more PR playbooks at PRWHero.
