By Sheeva Azma
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Why Write a Press Release?
A press release is a document that announces something – not just to the press, but to the public. The announcement can be about a new product, a new cool thing happening with a company (like if they got a new CEO), or literally anything else. I wrote a press release when my first book, How to Get Started in Freelance Science Writing, topped the Amazon book charts back in 2021.
A press release can be part of an organization or person’s overall communications strategy. My second book, Amplifying Science Communication with Public Relations, talked about public relations more generally, so check that out if you’re interested in learning more about PR, as it’s often called.
You write a press release when you want to get the word out about something you are doing – and it can really be anything. You can choose to distribute it via a traditional press release distribution service, or publish it for free online and then send to selected people – journalists, stakeholders, your social media presence. They can be useful to get out information quickly or to announce news that people might care about without having to write a lot.
I’ve been writing press releases for about a decade, as of writing this article. However, the first time someone hired me to do a press release, I did not know how to write one, though I had read tons of press releases by that time.
“What do people that write press releases have that I don’t have?” I asked myself. “Nothing!”
Writing a press release is not hard; anyone can do it. In fact, if you don’t like writing, you might actually like writing press releases because they are so formulaic and easy to put together in many ways.
I’ve written press releases for major biotech companies, educational start-ups, and more. Here is my process – posted here in hopes that a science communicator who doesn’t know how to write a press release can be less intimidated by the process.
What Goes in a Press Release?
A press release has this basic format:
- A sentence announcing the main news.
- 2-3 paragraphs elaborating on the main news and putting it in proper context
- A couple of quotes from people involved in the news, often company CEOs or others directly implicated in the press release – usually one at the beginning and one in the middle or end.
- An “About” section at the end that describes the people/organizations releasing the press release
- Media contacts where people can get in touch to learn more about the subject of the press release.
If you want to read examples of news releases, think of your favorite brand. Go to their website. If they’re an established brand, they should have a “Press Releases” section on their website, often in the “Newsroom” section.
How to Write a Press Release
Step 1: Figure out what the press release is about. What’s the news here?
Step 2: Figure out who you will quote. If you’re a company, figure out what you will want your CEO to say. You can often pull these quotes from other documents and articles – or even make them up sometimes – and the CEOs can sign off on them before publication and distribution.
Step 3: Write your press release. Follow the format above. If you’re not sure what to say, look up your favorite company on the web and check out their press releases.
Step 4: Don’t forget to add the “About” section(s) and contact info. Make sure to add a quick explainer about your organization – no more than 4-5 sentences – at the bottom of your press release. Also include a phone number and email of a media contact that people can get in touch with for more information.
Step 5: Publish and distribute! You can post the press release on a standard distribution site (a few sites do this for free), or your own website. You can also make it part of a larger PR strategy in which you reach out to journalists to get them to cover your news.
That’s it!
Wait…I’m still confused about this. What the heck?
If the concept of writing a press release still confuses you, here are some press releases you can read to get inspiration.
Moderna has relatively easy-to-read press releases, though they have comically long legal disclaimers at the end.
I love Apple’s innovative format for news releases in the Newsroom section of their website, but they’re difficult to search for on apple.com to find all in one place – so here is just one example.
Coca-Cola’s press releases follow the standard format for a press release quite well. See this one as an example, or check all of them out here.
Hire Fancy Comma, LLC to Write Your Next Press Release
As a versatile science communications company skilled in public relations and strategic messaging, we can help you make the biggest impact with your press release. To hire us, get in touch today!
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