The Anatomy Of A Press Release Journalists Actually Read

Most press releases are written for the company that sent them, not for the person receiving them. That's the single biggest reason they go unread. A journalist scanning an inbox of a hundred pitches a day isn't looking for a company's proudest news — they're looking for a story their readers will care about, and those are rarely the same thing.

The releases that get opened tend to share a structure: the headline states the change in the world, not the change inside the company ("Small businesses in three cities can now access same-day delivery," not "Company X announces expansion"). The first paragraph answers who, what, and why it matters, in that order, because that's as far as most people will read before deciding whether to continue. Everything after that is evidence — a quote that says something specific rather than ceremonial, a number that means something to an outsider, context about why now.

What's usually missing from a company's first attempt is restraint. There's a pull to mention every product feature, every executive, every award, in one release — as if more information increases the odds of coverage. It does the opposite. A release that makes one clear claim, well supported, is far easier for a journalist to turn into a story than one that makes six claims none of which are developed.

The releases we write start from the story a journalist would want to tell their readers, and work backwards to what the company needs to say to make that story true.