Press Release Skill

Writes press releases that journalists actually read — structured around the news angle, not the desire to promote.

Required Inputs

• The news (what is actually happening — be specific)
• Company name
• Date of announcement / embargo date
• Key quote (from which executive and approximately what they want to say)
• Why this matters (to the reader, not the company)
• Target media (trade / national / local / consumer / investor)
• Media contact details

Output Structure

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / EMBARGOED UNTIL: [Date and time]

[Headline — active verb, specific news, under 10 words]

[Subheadline — the so-what in one sentence, adds context not repetition]

[City, Date] — [Opening paragraph: Who, What, When, Where, Why in 2-3 sentences. A journalist should be able to run this paragraph alone. No background, no context, no company history.]

[Second paragraph: the significance. Why does this matter? What does it mean for customers or the industry?]

[Third paragraph: quote from executive. Human and specific. Not a restatement of the headline.]

"[Quote text — specific, adds something the facts do not say]," said [Name], [Title] at [Company]. "[Second sentence extending the thought]."

[Fourth paragraph: supporting detail — data, customer names with permission, additional context]

[Fifth paragraph optional: what happens next, when it goes live, what people can do]

ENDS

Notes to editors:

About [Company] [Boilerplate: 3-4 sentences. What the company does, when founded, where based, key facts. Factual not promotional.]

Media contact: [Name] | [Title] | [Email] | [Phone] | [Hours/timezone]

Headline Rules

• Active voice: "Company launches X" not "X is launched by Company"
• Specific: "raises 5M" not "secures significant investment"
• Under 10 words
• Never start with the company name — lead with the news

Journalist Test

Would a journalist care? Is the headline the full story? Is there a human angle? Is the quote something a human would say? Can the first paragraph stand alone?

Quality Checks

• Headline uses active voice and is under 10 words
• First paragraph stands alone as the complete story
• Quote adds something the facts don't say (not a restatement)
• Boilerplate is factual, not promotional
• Embargo date and media contact are included

Anti-Patterns

• Do not bury the news — the most important information must appear in the first paragraph (inverted pyramid)
• Do not use promotional language or superlatives — press releases must read as news, not advertising copy
• Do not omit the boilerplate — every press release needs the standard "About [Company]" paragraph at the end
• Do not forget the embargo date and media contact — journalists need both to use the release
• Do not write a headline longer than 12 words — it must be scannable and specific

Example Trigger Phrases

• "Write a press release announcing [news]"
• "Draft a media statement about [event]"
• "We are launching [product] — write the press release"
• "Turn this announcement into a press release: [paste notes]"