Standard Press Release Format
| Element | Content |
|---|
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | Top left — or embargo date if holding |
| Headline | Active voice, news angle, 60-80 chars — "Acme Corp Launches AI Tool, Raises $50M" |
| Dateline | CITY, State — Month Day, Year — opening sentence |
| Body | Inverted pyramid: most important first. 1-2 quotes from executives |
| Boilerplate | 1-paragraph company description — consistent across all releases |
| Media Contact | Name, title, email, phone — real person who will answer |
Quote Construction
| Role | Quote Should... |
|---|
| CEO | Vision, why this matters: "This launch represents our commitment to..." |
| Customer/Partner | Validation, real use: "We've already seen 40% improvement using..." |
Press Release Checklist
| ✓ | Item |
|---|
| ☐ | Is there actual news? (Product launch, funding, partnership, hire — not 'we exist') |
| ☐ | Would a journalist care? (If not, this is a blog post, not a press release) |
| ☐ | Headline reads like a news headline, not an ad |
| ☐ | All claims are factual and attributable |
Pro Tip: A press release is not marketing copy — it's a news story written for journalists. If your headline could be an ad, rewrite it as a headline you'd see on CNN or TechCrunch.