Most press releases are deleted without being read. Here’s why and exactly how to write one that makes journalists stop scrolling.
Every day, journalists at outlets like TechCrunch, Forbes, and industry-specific blogs receive hundreds of press releases. The overwhelming majority go straight to the trash. Not because the companies aren’t interesting, but because the press releases are written incorrectly. If you want to know how to write a press release that earns real coverage, the answer starts with understanding what journalists actually need.
What Journalists Actually Look For
A journalist’s job is to serve their readers, not your marketing team. They’re scanning for one thing: a story. That means a specific, timely, human-centered angle that their audience will care about reading.
What kills pickup instantly: vague claims (“We’re disrupting the industry”), corporate speak (“best-in-class synergies”), or announcements that only matter to the company sending them.
Real-world example When Duolingo announced its Series D funding in June 2015 (led by Google Capital at a $470M valuation), they didn’t lead with the dollar amount. Their announcement emphasized the milestone: 100 million registered users. The funding was supporting context. That framing — impact first, money second — is what got it picked up across major tech outlets.
According to PR Newswire’s press release best practices guide and HubSpot’s comprehensive PR template resource, the top reasons journalists ignore releases are: no clear news hook, buried lede, and lack of a usable quote.
Step-by-Step: How to Write a Press Release
The Headline
Your headline is doing two jobs: telling the journalist the story and making them want to read the first paragraph. It should be under 100 characters, in the active voice, and contain the core news. PR Newswire’s own data from their 2024 State of the Press Release report shows that headlines with 51–100 characters get the most views.
Weak”Acme Corp Announces New Product Launch for Q3″
Strong”Acme Corp’s New App Cuts Small Business Invoicing Time by 60%”
Actionable tip: Write your headline last. Once you know your strongest stat or outcome, that belongs at the top. Lead with the result, not the event.
The Subheadline
One sentence. Add context or the secondary angle that didn’t fit in the headline. This is where you can mention the company name or expand on who benefits.
Example: “The cloud-based tool, launching September 12, is already used by 2,000 SMBs across the US and UK.”
The Opening Paragraph
Answer the 5 Ws immediately: Who, What, Where, When, Why. Journalists call this the “inverted pyramid”; most important information first. If a journalist can’t understand your announcement from the first 50 words, they’re gone.
Real-world example When Slack completed its direct listing on the NYSE in June 2019, their announcement led with exactly what mattered: company name, the nature of the event (direct listing, not a traditional IPO), the exchange (NYSE: WORK), and the opening valuation of approximately $20 billion. No preamble. No backstory. Just the news then the context.
The Body
Two to three paragraphs expanding on the announcement. Include supporting data, context on the problem being solved, and any relevant milestones. This is where following a clear press release format matters most: keep paragraphs short, sentences crisp, and one idea per paragraph.
Never bury the lead here; if your product just hit a million users, that’s your opener, not your third paragraph.
Quotes
One executive quote (CEO, founder, or relevant VP). One third-party quote if available: a customer, analyst, or partner. Quotes must sound human. Journalists will cut robot-speak like “We are thrilled to announce this exciting milestone.”
Unusable “We are excited to be pioneering innovation in the space.”
Usable”We built this because our customers were losing 10 hours a week to manual invoicing. That time is now back in their hands.”
Boilerplate
A short “About [Company]” paragraph, 3 to 5 sentences. Include the founding year, what you do, where you operate, and a key differentiator. This appears at the bottom and stays consistent across all releases.
Contact Information
Name, title, email, and phone number for your PR contact. Include a direct line, not a generic info@ address. Journalists on deadline won’t hunt you down.
Press Release Template
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HEADLINE: [Result or Impact – Active Voice, Under 100 Characters]
SUBHEADLINE: [One-sentence context, who benefits or key supporting detail]DATELINE – [CITY, Date] – [Company] today announced [what happened], [brief context]. [One key stat or proof point].
[Body paragraph 1: Expand on the news. Include data or market context.]
[Body paragraph 2: Customer impact, use case, or product detail.]
QUOTE: “[Human, specific, usable quote],” said [Full Name], [Title], [Company].
[Optional: Third-party quote from a customer, analyst, or partner.]
About [Company]: [3–5 sentences. Founded when. What you do. Who you serve. One key proof point.]
###
Media Contact:
[Full Name] | [Title]
[Direct Email] | [Direct Phone]
This press release template works for product launches, funding announcements, partnership news, and executive hires. The “###” signals the end of the release, a standard journalism convention still widely used today. Adapt the body paragraphs to your specific announcement type.
Common Mistakes That Kill Coverage
- No news hook. “Company celebrates five years in business” is not news. “Company that started in a garage now serves 50,000 customers” might be.
- Sending to the wrong journalists. A tech reporter doesn’t want your restaurant opening. Segment your list by beat, not just by outlet.
- Too long. Aim for 400–600 words. If it’s longer, cut it; the details belong in an attached media kit, not the release itself.
- Sending on a Friday afternoon. Tuesday through Thursday mornings are when journalists are most receptive. Avoid Mondays (inbox overload) and Fridays (weekend wind-down).
- Missing a real, usable quote. Approval delays and placeholder quotes are the number one reason releases go out unquotable. Lock the quote before you set a send date.
How to Increase Pickup Chances
Writing a strong release is half the battle. The other half is distribution and outreach. PR distribution platforms like PR Newswire and Cision put your release in front of thousands of newsrooms, but wire distribution alone rarely generates coverage for smaller companies or early-stage startups.
The real move: personalized journalist outreach. Find three to five reporters who’ve recently covered a company like yours, reference their specific work, and pitch your angle in two sentences. The press release is the attachment, not the pitch itself. Keep the email short; journalists are busy, and a long pitch signals that you don’t understand their workflow.
Also consider how to get media coverage beyond the release itself. Pair announcements with a media-only briefing, exclusive data, or an embargoed pre-brief with top-tier targets 24-48 hours before the wire hits. Exclusives drive pickup because journalists love being first, and offering one builds the kind of relationship that pays off over time.
Just as consistent communication improves outcomes in any business, organizational performance improvement depends on clear, timely information flow. Your media strategy needs rhythm: regular announcements, consistent follow-up, and relationship maintenance between major news cycles.
Practical scenario: A SaaS startup sending its first press release: skip the wire service. Build a list of 15 reporters covering your vertical on TechCrunch, VentureBeat, and 2-3 trade publications. Send personalized emails with your release attached. Aim for 3-5 responses. One genuinely interested journalist is worth more than 500 wire syndications.
Real Press Release Example: Annotated
Real example – Notion Series C funding announcement (October 2021, verified)
Headline
“Notion Raises $275M at $10B Valuation to Build the Connected Workspace” specific dollar figure, valuation, and product positioning in one line.
Why it works
The headline answers the key journalist question: “so what?”, immediately. “$10B” is the news. “Connected workspace” frames the product category, not just the money.
Opening
Led with a 500% user growth figure before discussing the round itself, impact before investment. The round was led by Coatue and Sequoia, adding credibility without making it the story.
Quote
CEO Ivan Zhao’s quote referenced how teams at companies like Figma were using Notion, a concrete, nameable use case that journalists could reproduce verbatim.
Result
Covered by TechCrunch, The Verge, Forbes, and 40+ trade outlets within 48 hours of release. Zero buzzwords. Zero vague claims.
Notice what’s absent: no “we’re excited to announce,” no “industry-leading,” no vision statements about “changing the future.” Just verified numbers, a human voice, and a clear story for the journalist to tell.
Conclusion
Knowing how to write a press release that gets picked up isn’t about following a format; it’s about thinking like a journalist. Lead with impact, back it with evidence, write like a human, and make the reporter’s job easy. Use the press release template above as your foundation, follow the press release format guidelines section by section, and customize for your specific announcement and audience.
The companies that consistently earn media coverage aren’t necessarily the biggest or the most funded. They’re the ones who send tight, credible, well-targeted releases and follow up with a personalized pitch. Build that habit, and coverage follows.
One final note: before your release even reaches a journalist, it has to reach their inbox. Pay attention to technical fundamentals like email deliverability and inbox placement; a beautifully written pitch is worthless if it lands in spam.
Write the story you’d want to read. Then send it to the person whose job it is to tell it.
