In plain English
What does press release mean?
A press release is a concise, factual document written in journalistic style and sent to reporters, editors, or distributed via a wire service to announce news such as a product launch, funding round, executive hire, or event. It follows an inverted-pyramid structure, leading with the most newsworthy facts before adding supporting detail and quotes.
Well-crafted releases give journalists everything needed to write a story without additional research: who, what, when, where, why, and a clear boilerplate for background. Most organizations pair a release with a pitch email to increase pickup odds, since editors rarely run releases verbatim.
Example
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Acme Robotics Raises $40M Series B to Expand Warehouse Automation SAN FRANCISCO, March 4, 2025 — Acme Robotics today announced...
Use it well
Three practical tips
- 01
Put the strongest news fact in the headline and first sentence, not paragraph three.
- 02
Keep it under 500 words; reporters skim, they don't read essays.
- 03
Include at least one usable quote from a named executive or customer.
Knowledge check
Did it stick?
What structure do most press releases follow?
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