Format: Press Release
Purpose
Use for genuinely newsworthy announcements that need clear, quotable, media-ready communication.
Press release is a format. The broader intent is often announcement, which can also be published in other formats such as newsletter or LinkedIn post.
Canonical Structure
- Headline with clear news signal
- Lede paragraph with key facts (who, what, when, where, why)
- Supporting details and evidence
- Quote from a relevant spokesperson
- Boilerplate and contact details
Rules
Rule: Confirm Newsworthiness Before Drafting
Description: Publish as a press release only when the announcement is timely, relevant, and meaningfully impactful. Negative example: Publishing a release for an internal team celebration with no external relevance. Positive example: Publishing a release for a major partnership, launch, funding event, or significant milestone.
Rule: State the Announcement in One Sentence First
Description: Define exactly what is being announced before writing any supporting copy. Negative example: Drafting three paragraphs before naming the core announcement. Positive example: "Today we are announcing X for Y audience, effective Z date." used as the drafting anchor.
Rule: Write for Readers, Not Just Journalists
Description: Use plain language that a customer, partner, or reporter can understand quickly. Negative example: "Our platform operationalizes cross-domain synergies for adaptive enablement." Positive example: "Teams can now approve access in minutes without manual ticket routing."
Rule: Make the Headline Fact-Rich and Precise
Description: Headline should identify who is announcing what happened and why it matters. Negative example: "Big News From Our Team" Positive example: "Acme Launches Real-Time Compliance Dashboard to Cut Audit Prep Time for Healthcare Teams"
Rule: Put Critical Facts in the Lede
Description: First paragraph should contain the key facts and practical significance. Negative example: Opening with brand story and delaying core details. Positive example: Lede names announcement, audience impact, timing, and immediate relevance.
Rule: Support Claims With Verifiable Evidence
Description: Use specific numbers, research, customer outcomes, or concrete milestones. Negative example: "The solution delivers world-class results." Positive example: "In pilot accounts, reporting cycle time dropped from 5 days to 6 hours."
Rule: Use Quotes That Add Information
Description: Spokesperson quotes should provide insight, rationale, or context not already stated. Negative example: "We are thrilled and honored by this incredible moment." Positive example: "This release removes three manual approval steps, which is why early users saw faster response times."
Rule: Keep Boilerplate Reusable and Brief
Description: Boilerplate should summarize mission, offering, and relevance in one compact paragraph. Negative example: 250-word brand history with marketing slogans. Positive example: 3-4 sentence company summary plus contact path for follow-up.
Rule: Prioritize Skimmable Formatting
Description: Use short paragraphs, clear subheads, and bullets for lists to reduce reading friction. Negative example: Dense full-page blocks with no visual landmarks. Positive example: One-sentence openers, concise body paragraphs, and bulleted detail blocks.
Rule: Remove PR Cliches and Jargon
Description: Replace generic hype language with concrete statements. Negative example: "Industry-leading, game-changing, best-in-class innovation." Positive example: "Introduces automated exception tracking for SOC 2 evidence collection."
Rule: End With One Clear Next Step
Description: Direct media or readers to a single action (contact, demo page, media kit, or event registration). Negative example: Multiple competing asks in the closing lines. Positive example: "Media inquiries: press@company.com. Product details: company.com/new-feature."
Best-Fit Content Intent
announcement