Press releases (also referred to as news releases) are a way of announcing something to the world that you believe is important. By definition, they are aimed for the widest possible pick-up and distribution by the media.
In general, a press release should not exceed one page in length and must contain all of the essential details of the announcement that you are making. In some cases, if necessary, a one or two page “backgrounder” with additional related information can be attached to a press release.
The primary audience that a press release targets is the media in general. Distribution of news releases is normally done by commercial media distribution services. Many journalists and media outlets use these types of services as their primary news source. It is therefore important to write a press release in the same style that journalists use so that your release will be quick and easy for them to pick up and re-publish.
The sample press release below was set up in MS-Word and was written for a real-life situation. It contains all of the key information elements that you should include when developing your own news releases.
Press Release – Sample Format
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