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Press release

Information provided for public relations

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Through News media, Corporation and Public relations

A special example of a press release is a communiqué (; French: ), which is a brief report or statement released by a public agency. A communiqué is typically issued after a high-level meeting of international leaders.

Using press releases can benefit media corporations because they can contribute to reducing costs and improve the amount of material a media firm can output in a certain amount of time. Due to the material being pre-packaged, press releases save journalists time, not only in writing a story, but also the time and money it would have taken to capture the news firsthand.

Although using a press release can save a news outlet time and money, it constrains the format and style of its content. In addition, press releases can be favorable towards the organization that commissioned or issued them, framing the topic according to its preferred criteria. In the digital age, consumers generally want to receive information instantly, bringing about pressure on the news media to output information fast with less time for editing and fact-checking. This may cause news media companies to heavily rely on press releases to create stories.

Elements

Any information deliberately sent to a reporter or media source is considered a press release. This information is released by the act of being sent to the media. Public relations professionals often follow a standard professional format for press releases. Additional communication methods that journalists employ include pitch letters and media advisories. Generally, a press release body consists of four to five paragraphs with a word limit ranging from 400 to 500. However, press release length varies and can range from 300 to 800 words.

Common structural elements include:

  • Letterhead or Logo
  • Media Contact Information – name, phone number, email address, mailing address, or other contact information for the public relation (PR) or other media relations contact person.
  • Headline – used to grab the attention of journalists and briefly summarize the news in one to six words.
  • Dek – a sub-headline that describes the headline in more detail.
  • Dateline – contains the release date and usually the originating city of the press release. If the date listed is after the date that the information was actually sent to the media, then the sender is requesting a news embargo.
  • Introduction – first paragraph in a press release, that generally gives basic answers to the questions of who, what, when, where and why.
  • Body – further explanation, statistics, background, or other details relevant to the news.
  • Boilerplate – generally a short "about" section, providing independent background on the issuing company, organization, or individual.
  • Close – in North America, traditionally the symbol "-30-" appears after the boilerplate or body and before the media contact information, indicating to media that the release has ended. A more modern equivalent has been the "###" symbol. In other countries, other means of indicating the end of the release may be used, such as the text "ends".

As the Internet has assumed growing prominence in the 24-hour news cycle, press release writing styles have evolved. Editors of online newsletters, for instance, often lack the staff to convert traditional press release prose into the print-ready copy.

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