You’ve probably seen the templates. Those stiff, corporate blocks of text that look like they were written by a legal team in 1994. Honestly, if you follow those to the letter, your news is going to die in a reporter’s inbox. Journalists at places like The Verge or The New York Times get hundreds of pitches a day. Most of them suck. They’re boring.
So, what does a press release look like when it actually works?
It looks like an answer to a question. It looks like a shortcut for a busy writer. It looks like a story, not a sales pitch. If you think a press release is just a way to announce your "synergistic new platform," you're doing it wrong. It’s a tool. A very specific, very tactical tool designed to give a journalist everything they need to write a story in under five minutes.
The Visual Anatomy: It’s All About Scanability
If you print one out, it shouldn't look like a wall of text. It needs white space. Lots of it.
At the very top, you have the logo. Keep it small. Don't let it eat the whole page. Right under that, you need the "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE" line. It's a bit old-school, yeah, but it tells the reader exactly what the deal is: you can publish this now. If it’s under embargo, you’d list the date and time instead, but honestly, be careful with embargos. Unless you're Apple or a major pharmaceutical company, most reporters won't care enough to honor them if they haven't agreed to it beforehand.
Then comes the headline. This is where most people fail.
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A good headline is bold and centered. It should be catchy but factual. No clickbait. Think about the headlines you see on AP News. They tell you exactly what happened. Underneath that, you often see a subheadline—an italicized bit of context that adds flavor without repeating the main point.
The Dateline and the "Lede"
The dateline is simple: CITY, State – Month Day, Year. It establishes where the news is coming from.
The first paragraph is the "lede." This is the most important part of what a press release looks like. In about 30 to 45 words, you have to answer the Five Ws: Who, What, Where, When, and Why. If a reporter stops reading after this paragraph—and they usually do—they should still be able to explain the news to their editor.
Don't bury the lead. If you’re launching a new AI tool that cures writer's block, don't start with the history of the company. Start with the tool. Now.
Why Your Quote Probably Sucks
We've all seen them. The "We are thrilled to announce..." quotes.
Please stop.
Nobody is actually "thrilled" in real life, or at least not in the way these corporate bots suggest. When a journalist looks at what a press release looks like, they are looking for a quote they can actually use in an article. They want a quote that adds opinion, perspective, or a "why this matters" angle.
- Bad Quote: "We are excited to bring this innovative solution to our valued customers," says CEO John Doe.
- Good Quote: "The industry has been stuck using 20-year-old tech for too long. We built this because we were tired of waiting for someone else to fix it," says Jane Smith, Lead Engineer.
The second one has teeth. It has a voice. It’s human.
The Middle Gritty: Supporting Details and Data
The second and third paragraphs are for the meat. This is where you put the secondary details. Maybe you include a brief bulleted list of features, but don't go overboard. Use a mix of short, punchy sentences and slightly longer explanations to keep the rhythm from becoming robotic.
If you have data, put it here. Real numbers. "A 40% increase in efficiency" means nothing without context. "Reducing the time it takes to process a loan from three days to four minutes" is a story.
You also need to think about the "inverted pyramid." This is a journalism concept where the most important info is at the top, and the fluff is at the bottom. Why? Because editors cut from the bottom up. If your most important detail is in the last paragraph, it’s getting deleted.
The Boilerplate and the "End"
At the very bottom, you have the "About" section, or the boilerplate. This is the "who we are" part. It’s basically your company’s LinkedIn bio. Keep it under 100 words.
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Then, the contact info. Name, email, and a phone number. Yes, a phone number. Real journalists sometimes need to call you at 4:00 PM on a Friday to clarify a fact. If you only provide an "info@" email address, you're missing out on coverage.
Finally, the end. Literally. You put three hashtags—###—or "-30-" centered at the bottom. It’s an old telegrapher’s code that tells the reader there’s no more text on the next page. It’s a small detail, but it makes you look like a pro who knows the industry standards.
Real-World Examples of Modern Style
Look at how a company like Tesla or SpaceX handles their news. They often skip the fluff entirely. Sometimes their press releases are just a few paragraphs of raw data and a link to a high-res image gallery.
High-resolution images are vital. If you don't include a link to a Dropbox or a Google Drive folder with "Press Assets," you’re making the journalist work. Don't make them work. They are tired. Give them a 300 DPI headshot of the founder and a clean shot of the product against a white background.
Formatting Matters More Than You Think
When you're wondering what does a press release look like, don't forget the font. Use something clean like Arial or Times New Roman. No Comic Sans. No weird colors. Stick to black text on a white background. It needs to look like a professional document, not a flyer for a bake sale.
The Differences Between Digital and Print Styles
Back in the day, press releases were mailed or faxed. Today, they live in emails and on "Newsroom" pages of websites. This means you need to think about SEO.
Your headline shouldn't just be catchy; it should contain your main keyword. If you’re announcing a "New Sustainable Coffee Roastery in Brooklyn," make sure those exact words are in the title. Google Discover loves news that is timely and local.
But don't over-optimize. If it sounds like a robot wrote it, a human won't read it. And if a human won't read it, Google's algorithms (which are getting scarily good at detecting "helpfulness") won't surface it.
Common Misconceptions About Press Release Layout
A lot of people think a press release should be long. It shouldn't.
If it’s over two pages, you’ve failed. One page is the gold standard. 500 words is usually the sweet spot. Anything longer and you’re rambling.
Another mistake? Thinking the press release is the story. It’s not. It’s the source for the story. You are providing the ingredients; the journalist is the chef. Don't try to write the whole article for them in the third person—well, actually, you should write in the third person, but don't try to do their job. Provide facts, provide quotes, and provide a clear path to more information.
Practical Steps to Build Your Own
- Find your hook. If this wasn't your company, would you care? Be honest.
- Draft the headline first. Make it boringly clear, then make it slightly more interesting.
- Write the lede. Answer those five Ws immediately.
- Get a real quote. Find someone in your company who can speak like a human being.
- Check your links. There is nothing more embarrassing than a dead link in a press release.
- Add the ###. It’s the secret handshake of the PR world.
The structure of what a press release looks like is actually quite rigid, but the content inside that structure needs to be fluid and engaging. You’re balancing two worlds: the formal requirements of the news industry and the creative requirements of storytelling.
If you stick to the inverted pyramid, keep your quotes punchy, and make sure your contact info is easy to find, you’re already ahead of 90% of the people hitting "send" today. Focus on being useful. If you are useful to a journalist, they will reward you with the one thing money can't easily buy: earned media.
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Once the draft is done, send it to a friend who doesn't work in your industry. If they can't tell you what the news is within ten seconds of looking at it, go back to the top and rewrite the headline. Accuracy and clarity always win over "fluff" and "buzzwords." That’s the reality of modern PR.
To ensure your release is ready for distribution, verify that all names are spelled correctly and that your data points are backed by a reachable source. Double-check the date. Ensure the "About" section reflects your current company mission without using outdated jargon. Once these boxes are checked, you are ready to distribute.