Writing a Press Release Journalists Will Actually Use: 10 Steps

Most press releases are ignored for the same reason: they read like advertisements. Editors and journalists receive a steady flow of them and scan each one for three things: is there news, are the facts clear, and can a story be written quickly from it? A good release delivers exactly that, and it also makes your company easy to quote correctly. Here is how to write one in ten steps, along with the structure that holds it together.

Before you write

Step 1. Make sure it is news

Ask three questions: what changed, who does it affect, and why does it matter now? A new product, an investment, a partnership, an opening, research results, a senior appointment or a significant event can all be news. "We are the market leader" is not. If you cannot state the news in one sentence, you probably do not need a press release. A post on your own channels may be enough.

Step 2. Choose your media and your angle

Business media, industry publications, local news and lifestyle outlets look for different things. The same announcement may need two versions: one focused on numbers and market impact, another on what changes for ordinary customers. Decide on languages too. In Azerbaijan and many neighbouring markets, media publish in several languages, so prepare versions in the languages your target outlets use. Have each version written or edited by someone who writes well in that language; an unedited machine translation is easy to spot.

Writing the release

Step 3. Write a headline that states the news

The headline should say what happened, who did it and, ideally, why it matters, in plain words. Use an active verb. Avoid adjectives such as "revolutionary", "unique" and "leading"; they add nothing a journalist can use and often get deleted first.

Step 4. Add a subheadline

One sentence that adds the most important detail the headline could not hold: a key figure, the location, the date or the main benefit.

Step 5. Open with a dateline and a strong lead

Start the first paragraph with the city and date. Then answer the classic questions: who, what, when, where and why, plus how if it matters. If an editor reads only this paragraph, they should still be able to write a short news item.

Step 6. Build the body as an inverted pyramid

Put the most important information first and the details later, so the text can be cut from the bottom without losing the story. Add context: why this matters for customers, the industry or the city. Use only real, verifiable numbers. Keep paragraphs short, with one idea each. For most announcements, one page is enough.

Step 7. Include a quote that says something

Add one or two quotes from a named spokesperson. A quote should add opinion, meaning or a view of the future; it should not repeat the facts above it. "We are proud to announce" is filler, not a quote. Always get written approval from the person you are quoting, and never put words in a partner's mouth without their sign-off.

Step 8. Close with the boilerplate and contacts

The boilerplate is a short "About the company" paragraph of three or four sentences that stays the same across releases. Below it, add a media contact who will actually answer the phone that day: name, phone, email. Link to high-resolution photos with captions and credits, your logo and the relevant page on your website.

Before you send

Step 9. Check, edit and approve

Verify every name, job title, number, date and link. Read the text aloud to catch long sentences and jargon. Agree in advance who approves the release, and involve legal colleagues for sensitive topics such as financial results or disputes. If you share news before the publication date, mark it clearly as "Embargoed until" with the date, time and time zone, and send embargoed material only to journalists you trust.

Step 10. Distribute personally and follow up once

Send the release to a targeted list, not to every address you have. Paste the text into the body of the email and use the headline as the subject line, so the journalist can see the news without opening an attachment. Add a short personal note for the outlets that matter most. Publish the release in the newsroom section of your website at the same time. Follow up once, briefly, and offer something useful, such as an interview, extra data or photos, rather than asking whether they received your email. After publication, track the coverage and thank the journalists who used it.

Common mistakes

• The news is buried in the fourth paragraph.
• Superlatives and advertising language replace facts.
• The email contains only a heavy PDF attachment and no text.
• The listed contact person is unavailable on the day of distribution.
• The same release goes to every outlet without considering who it is for.

A strong announcement can lose coverage simply because nobody answers when a journalist calls for a comment. In my experience, the contact line matters as much as the headline.

The takeaway

Before you press send, read only your headline and first paragraph. If a journalist could write a short news item from those two parts alone, your release is ready. If not, rewrite the top before you touch anything else.