How to Write a Press Release Editors Read

A press release is a short document that hands a journalist a story in a form they can check and use quickly. For a small business it rarely wins coverage on its own, but a well-made release makes every pitch easier, because the facts, the quotes and the contact details all sit in one tidy place. This guide covers how to write one that an editor can read in a minute and act on.

Start with the news, not the company

Before writing a word, finish this sentence: "This matters to readers of this outlet because…". If the honest answer is that you would like more customers, there is no story yet. Editors look for something new, local, useful or unusual: a service that fills a gap in town, a partnership with a school, a milestone that says something about the area, an event people can attend, or something learned from your own work that others could use.

Write the news down in one plain sentence. That sentence becomes the backbone of your headline and your opening paragraph.

The structure editors expect

Press releases follow a familiar layout so that busy people can find what they need without hunting. Keep to it; creativity belongs in the story, not the format.

Write the headline and lead first

The headline should read like something a reporter could almost reuse. "Riverside bakery opens Saturday class for teenagers learning to run a market stall" tells an editor far more than "Exciting new chapter for Riverside Bakery". Drop adjectives that judge your own news, such as innovative, leading or game-changing, and let the facts carry the weight.

The opening paragraph holds the whole story in compressed form. A reader who stops there should still know what is happening, who is behind it, where and when it takes place, and why it deserves a mention. Everything after that is supporting detail, arranged from most to least important, so an editor can trim from the bottom without losing anything vital.

Quotes that add something

A quote should give opinion, reason or feeling, the parts that facts alone cannot carry. "We are delighted to announce" adds nothing at all. A line explaining why the owner started the class, or what they noticed among local teenagers, gives a journalist a human angle to build on.

• Use one quote, two at most, from people who are happy to talk further.
• Write it the way that person really speaks, then ask them to approve the wording.
• Never put words in the mouth of a partner or customer without their clear permission.

Keep the length in check

One page is the usual target, and shorter is often better. If you catch yourself writing a fourth or fifth paragraph of background, move it into a separate fact sheet or a page on your website and mention that it exists. Use short paragraphs and plain sentences, and include numbers only when they are accurate and you can show where they come from.

Add what makes it easy to use

Editors appreciate material they can use without a long back-and-forth. Prepare a small set of supporting items and say in the release where to find them:

1. Photos with captions and credit lines, in sizes suitable for print and web. Consistent team portraits help here; our piece on AI headshot generators and branding looks at keeping faces recognisable and honest.
2. A fact sheet with dates, addresses, prices or opening hours, if they matter to the story.
3. A logo file in case the outlet runs a listing alongside the piece.

Check before it goes out

Read the release aloud. Anything that sounds like an advert rather than news should be cut or rewritten. Then check every name, date, spelling and link, and make sure the contact person knows a release is on its way and can take calls. A release that leads to an unanswered phone loses most of its value.

Send it with a personal note

A release sent cold to a long list of addresses tends to vanish. It works best as the attachment, or the pasted text, beneath a short personal message to a journalist who covers your kind of story. That message is a skill of its own, and our guide on how to pitch a local journalist walks through it step by step.

Finally, keep a simple record of where you sent the release and who replied. Over time that record becomes a small, useful list of contacts who know your business and trust that your news is genuine.