How to Write a Press Release That Gets Media Coverage
The Reality of Press Releases in 2025
Journalists receive hundreds of press releases every week. Most of them go unread. The ones that get attention are the ones that tell a compelling story, provide genuine news value, and respect the journalist's time. If your press release reads like a sales pitch dressed up as news, it will be deleted in seconds. If it reads like a self-congratulatory announcement that nobody outside your company would care about, it will meet the same fate.
A successful press release answers one question from the journalist's perspective: "Why should my readers care about this?" If you cannot answer that question clearly and concisely, you are not ready to write the release. The good news is that most press releases fail not because of writing quality, but because they lack a genuine news angle. Fix that, and you are already ahead of 90% of the competition.
The Inverted Pyramid Structure
The classic press release follows an inverted pyramid structure. The most important information goes first, followed by supporting details, with background information at the end. This structure works because journalists often cut from the bottom up. If your key message is buried in paragraph four, it might never be seen.
Your opening paragraph (the lead) should answer the five Ws: Who, What, When, Where, and Why. "Acme Corp today launched a new AI-powered customer service platform that reduces response times by 80% for e-commerce businesses." This single sentence tells the journalist everything they need to know to decide whether the story is worth pursuing.
Use our Press Release Generator to create a properly structured release that follows the inverted pyramid format.
Writing Headlines and Leads
Your press release headline needs to be newsworthy, not promotional. "Acme Corp Launches Revolutionary New Product" is weak because every company claims their product is revolutionary. "New AI Platform Cuts E-Commerce Customer Response Times from Hours to Seconds" is strong because it is specific, quantified, and clearly communicates the news value.
The lead paragraph expands on the headline with the most critical details. Keep it to 2-3 sentences. Avoid superlatives and marketing language. "We are thrilled to announce" and "groundbreaking innovation" belong in marketing materials, not press releases. Journalists want facts, not hype.
The Boilerplate and Contacto Information
Every press release should end with a boilerplate paragraph about your company and contact information for media inquiries. The boilerplate is a standardized description of your company that can be used in any press release. It should be factual, concise, and free of marketing claims.
Include a real person as the media contact, not a generic email address. Journalists prefer to speak with someone who can answer questions directly rather than navigating a PR department. Provide name, title, email, and phone number.
Distribution and Follow-Up
Sending your press release to a generic distribution service and hoping for the best is rarely effective. Targeted outreach to specific journalists who cover your industry is far more productive. Research which publications and journalists have covered similar stories, and send your release directly to them with a brief, personalized note explaining why the story is relevant to their readers.
Follow up once, respectfully, about 3-5 days after sending. Do not call or email repeatedly. Journalists are busy, and persistent follow-ups that border on harassment will damage your relationship more than silence ever could. If a journalist declines, accept it gracefully and move on.