What is a press release, and when do you need one?

A press release is a short, formal announcement written for journalists. Its job is to give a reporter everything they need to write the story: the news, a quote, the facts, and who to contact.

When you need one

• A product, service, or programme launch
• A senior hire or a leadership change
• Results, research, or data you can publish
• An event, an award, or a partnership
• A statement in response to an issue

When a pitch email is better

If you have an angle for one reporter, or an idea for a feature, write to them directly. A press release also suits a story that is relevant to many outlets at once, and it can go alongside a personal email to the reporters who matter most.

The parts of a release

• State the news in plain words in the headline.
• Mark the release as ready to publish ("for immediate release") or "under embargo until" a date, then give the city, state, and date, then who, what, when, where, and why in the first two sentences.
• Put the numbers and context after the opening, in order of importance.
• Include at least two quotes, one from the organization and one from a third party such as a customer, each from a named person who approved it, as one university guide recommends.
• End with a short, factual paragraph about the organization, called the boilerplate.
• Give a name, an email address, and a phone number for contact. The same guide places them at the top of the release.

A short example (made up)

Leave out claims you cannot support. Run a draft through Writing Review to catch promotional language, and use the event PR workflow when the release belongs to a larger plan.