The press release is an official document intended for external use that contains all the information of a news item in order to inform the media. It is one of the most widely used tools in relations with the media and journalists. It allows you to present information in a factual manner using a structure that answers the basic questions: what, who, when, how and why.
Think of the press release as your dream article while remaining factual. If the journalist were to copy and paste your text, what would you like it to contain? It’s also important to follow a clearly defined structure, as detailed below. Lastly, remember that a press release should fit on one or two pages (unless the situation absolutely doesn’t make that possible).
Don’t forget to include:
- a striking headline;
- a lead containing a salient fact;
- a second paragraph containing a quote from a spokesperson;
- a third paragraph with secondary highlights and other relevant information;
- a fourth paragraph with a final key piece of information, a reminder about an important fact, etc.;
- an “About” section.
