The Standard Press Release Format

A press release follows a fixed order: a release line, a headline and often a subhead, a dateline that opens the lead, body paragraphs built around a quote, a boilerplate about the company, and contact details closed with an end mark. Editors and reporters expect this shape, so a release that follows it gets read and understood faster than one that improvises its own layout.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The first line of the document states when the news can be published. “FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE” means the recipient can run the story the moment they receive it. If the news needs to be held until a set date and time, replace that line with “FOR RELEASE ON [DATE] AT [TIME]” and repeat the embargo date in your pitch email, since the release itself will not stop anyone who ignores the line.

Headline and subhead

The headline sits below the release line in bold, larger type, stating the news in one sentence: who did what. A subhead, when you use one, sits underneath in a lighter weight and adds a second fact the headline could not fit, such as a number, a date, or a reason. See the guide to writing headlines for word order and length.

Dateline

The lead paragraph opens with a dateline: the city, plus state or country where the city name alone would be unclear, followed by the date. A typical dateline reads Austin, Texas, Sept. 19, 2026, followed by a dash or long space before the first sentence begins. The AP style guide covers exactly how to format dates and abbreviate states.

The lead paragraph

The lead is one paragraph that answers who, what, when, where, and, if it fits, why. It carries the entire news value of the release; a reader who gets only the lead should already know whether the story matters to them. Everything after it supports or expands on this paragraph.

Body paragraphs

After the lead, body paragraphs add supporting detail in descending order of importance: the second paragraph carries the next most important fact, and so on. Keep one idea per paragraph and avoid circling back to restate the lead in different words. For a product story, put pricing and availability early; for a deal, put the terms and the closing date early.

The quote

Most releases carry one or two quotes from a named person at the company, sometimes a partner or a customer. A quote should say something a plain statement of fact could not, such as intent or reaction, rather than restate the headline in first person. See the guide to writing quotes for how to write one that sounds like a person speaking.

Boilerplate

The boilerplate is a short paragraph, usually the last one before the contact line, describing the company in general terms: what it does, who it serves, and where it is based. It stays roughly the same from release to release. The boilerplate guide has a fill-in pattern you can reuse.

Media contact

Close with a named contact: a person’s name, title, email address, and phone number. A release with no named contact tells an editor that follow-up questions will go nowhere, which makes the story harder to trust and slower to run.

The end mark

Three number signs, centered on their own line, mark the end of the document: ###. It is a habit carried over from print newsrooms, and it tells the reader that nothing follows the contact details, so they are not left looking for a missing page.

Length, font and file format when sending

Keep the release to roughly one printed page, which usually lands between 300 and 500 words; the funding announcement template is built to that length. Use a plain, widely available font such as Arial or Times New Roman at 11 or 12 point with normal margins, since most recipients will read the release as plain text rather than as a formatted document. Send it as plain text in the email body or as a .docx attachment, and avoid PDF for the first pitch, since it stops an editor from copying text straight into their own system. You can see the format holding up in the best examples and breaking down in the bad examples on this site.