How to write a press release journalists will use

If you are wondering how to write a press release that gets used, start with some reassurance. In Cision's 2025 State of the Media survey of more than 3,000 journalists in 19 markets, 72% said press releases are still the most useful resource PR teams can offer.¹ The same survey found that 86% of journalists will immediately reject a pitch that is not aligned with their beat or audience.¹

Those two figures sum up the task. A media release is welcome when it gives a journalist a story their readers will want, in a form they can use quickly. It is ignored when it reads like an advertisement or lands in the wrong inbox.

Before writing anything, decide what is actually new. A launch, a published finding, a signed agreement or a figure no one has seen before can be news. A workshop that took place, on its own, usually is not. Purdue University's Online Writing Lab reminds writers that press releases are not advertisements, and suggests working through the five Ws and H: who, what, where, when, why and how.²

The most useful of these is why. Purdue frames it as asking what will make the target audience care about the announcement.² For a press release for NGOs, the answer is usually the people affected, the scale of the issue, or a decision that a ministry, district or partner can now act on.

Journalists write in the inverted pyramid, and your release should too. Nielsen Norman Group describes it as a structure in which the most important information, even the conclusion, is presented first, so that readers can stop at any point and still come away with the main point.³ The Australian Government Style Manual gives the same advice for any content: start with what the user most needs to know, then organise the rest in order of importance.⁴

In practice, the headline states the news in plain words, with a verb. The first paragraph, ideally one or two sentences, says who did what, where, when and why it matters. Purdue advises putting the main idea and purpose of the release at the beginning.² If a reporter reads only that paragraph, they should be able to write a short news item.

After the opening, add supporting facts: the key figures, the location, the partners involved and what happens next. Keep it tight. Purdue suggests getting your point across in under a page, noting that anything over two pages is likely to be seen as a news article rather than a release.²

Quotes should add opinion, emotion or authority, not repeat the facts. One quote from your leader and one from a partner or community member is usually enough. Close with a media contact, including a phone number and email address, and put background information in a "Notes to editors" section after the contact details, as Purdue recommends.²

This press release template follows the structure above. It works for most announcements by NGOs, UN agencies, ministries and companies, and can be adapted for English, French or Kinyarwanda versions. If you publish in more than one language, write and check each version properly rather than attaching a quick translation as an afterthought:

• Release line: "For immediate release" or "Embargoed until [date, time, time zone]".
• Headline: the news in one line, with an active verb.
• Subheading (optional): one supporting fact or figure.
• Dateline and first paragraph: place, date, and who did what and why it matters.
• Second and third paragraphs: key figures, context and what happens next.
• Quotes: one from your spokesperson, one from a partner or beneficiary.
• "Ends", then the media contact: name, role, phone, email.
• Notes to editors: short background on the organisation and links to photos, video or the full report.

An embargo lets journalists prepare a story before the news is public. EurekAlert, the science news service run by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, defines a news embargo as a prohibition against making certain information public, in any way, before a specific date and time.⁵ Use embargoes only when there is a genuine reason, such as a report launch, and only with journalists you trust to respect them.

Visuals help. Cision's survey summary notes that the impact of a press release increases significantly when it is paired with multimedia.¹ Offer two or three captioned, high-resolution photographs and, where relevant, a short video clip or chart, with photo credits and confirmation that the people shown have given consent.

A strong release still fails if it reaches the wrong people. Build a short list of journalists who actually cover your subject, whether health, agriculture, climate or business, and write a two-line personal note above the release explaining why it matters to their readers. Paste the text into the email body rather than sending only an attachment.

Accuracy matters more than ever. In the same Cision survey, 72% of journalists said they worry about factual errors in AI-generated PR content.¹ Check every name, title and figure, link to the source report, and make sure your spokesperson is available on the day the release goes out.

• A genuine news angle, not just an event that happened
• Headline that states the news with an active verb
• First paragraph that answers who, what, where, when and why
• About one page, facts in order of importance
• Two quotes at most, each adding something new
• Named media contact with phone and email
• Captioned photos with credits and consent
• Sent only to journalists who cover the topic