What Journalists Actually Want
A journalist's job is to find stories their readers care about — fast. They receive dozens of press releases a day. Most get skimmed for 5 seconds max. If the news value isn't obvious in the first paragraph, the release gets archived.
What they want: specifics, not superlatives. Numbers, not adjectives. A real quote from a real person, not corporate-speak. And a clear answer to: “Why should my readers care about this, today?”
Press Release Format & Structure (2026 Standard)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
or 'EMBARGOED UNTIL [date]' — always at the top.
Headline
The most important line. Active voice, title case, under 15 words. Write it like a newspaper headline — not a marketing tagline. 'SwiftCopy Raises $2M Seed Round to Expand AI Copywriting Platform to 50 Markets' not 'SwiftCopy Announces Exciting News'.
Subheadline
One sentence that adds context or the key detail the headline couldn't fit. Optional but recommended.
Dateline
CITY, Month Day, Year — e.g. 'ISTANBUL, March 12, 2026 —' before the opening paragraph.
Opening paragraph
Answer who, what, where, when, and why in 40–60 words. The most important information first. A journalist who reads only this should understand the full story.
Body paragraphs
2–3 paragraphs. Expand on the news, add context, explain the market need or significance.
Executive quote
One compelling quote from the CEO or relevant leader. It should add perspective — not repeat the headline in quotation marks.
Boilerplate ("About Company")
3–4 sentences: what the company does, who it serves, key stats, website. Identical in every release you send.
Media contact
Name, email, phone. A journalist who can't reach you quickly won't wait.
###
Three hash marks centered at the bottom — the universal signal that the press release has ended.
How to Write a Headline That Gets Clicks
The headline is where 90% of press releases fail. Here's the difference between a press release headline and a marketing headline:
❌ Marketing headline
- “SwiftCopy Announces Exciting New Features That Will Revolutionize Content Creation”
- “Leading AI Platform Unveils Groundbreaking Technology”
- “Company Proud to Share Major Milestone”
✓ News headline
- “SwiftCopy Adds AIDA, PAS, and BAB Framework Generator to Its AI Copywriting Suite”
- “AI Startup SwiftCopy Crosses 10,000 Users in Six Months Without Paid Advertising”
- “SwiftCopy Launches Free Real Estate Listing Tool for Independent Agents”
Writing the Executive Quote
A great quote does one of three things: adds context the body can't provide, reveals the “why behind the what,” or creates a human moment in an otherwise factual document.
❌ Bad quote
“We are thrilled and excited to announce this incredible milestone. This is a testament to our dedicated team and valued customers.”
✓ Good quote
“Small businesses have been priced out of professional copywriting for decades. We built SwiftCopy so a one-person e-commerce shop can have the same quality of copy as a Fortune 500 brand, for under $30 a month.”
What Counts as Newsworthy?
Not every business update deserves a press release. Here's what typically qualifies:
Press Release Mistakes to Avoid
Burying the news
The most important fact belongs in the first sentence — not paragraph three.
Adjective overload
Remove 'leading', 'innovative', 'revolutionary', 'best-in-class'. Replace with numbers and specifics.
No media contact
A journalist who can't reach you won't chase you down. Always include a named contact with email and phone.
Too long
One page is ideal. Two pages is the maximum. If it's three pages, cut it.
Forgetting the boilerplate
Every release needs an 'About' section. It saves journalists time and ensures accurate company description.
News Release Format: AP Style Standards
“Press release” and “news release” are the same thing. Wire services like PR Newswire and AP use “news release” in their style guides; most practitioners use “press release.” The format for a news release is identical regardless of what you call it.
When submitting to a wire distribution service, apply these AP style formatting rules:
Date format
Spell out the month (March 12, 2026 — not 03/12/2026). AP style doesn't abbreviate months of five letters or fewer.
Numbers
Spell out one through nine; use numerals for 10 and above. Always use numerals for percentages, money, ages, and measurements.
Company name
Use the full legal name on first reference, abbreviated name on subsequent references. Check the company's official style guide if they have one.
Quote attribution
Attribution comes after the quote: '...said [Name], [Title].' Never '...said [Title] [Name].' The title always follows the name in AP style.
Dateline format
CITY (all caps), state abbreviation (AP style, not postal), em dash, then text. Example: ISTANBUL — not ISTANBUL, TURKEY —. For US cities: CHICAGO — not CHICAGO, IL —.
Headline capitalization
Title case in press release headlines. Every major word capitalized. Articles (a, an, the) and short prepositions (in, of, at) are lowercase unless they start the headline.
How to Format a Press Release for Email Distribution
When emailing directly to journalists (versus wire services), formatting matters even more. Journalists open email on mobile. Here's what works:
✓ Format that gets read
- Subject line = press release headline (copy exactly)
- Full release pasted in email body — no attachments on first contact
- 2–3 sentence personalised intro before the release text
- PDF attached as backup, not as the primary delivery method
❌ Format that gets deleted
- Subject: “Press Release — Please Review”
- Only a PDF attached with no preview text
- Generic “Dear Journalist” opener
- Press release as a Word doc
Press Release Format Template (Copy-Paste)
Copy this blank news release format and fill in each section. This follows AP style and is accepted by all major wire distribution services including PR Newswire, Business Wire, and GlobeNewswire.
Replace all brackets with your actual content. Delete any section that doesn't apply (subheadline is optional). The ### at the bottom is mandatory — it signals end-of-release to editors and wire services.