How to Write a Press Release People Actually Read in 2026
The traditional press release is in an odd place. Journalists receive far more than they can read, many newsrooms have shrunk, and a growing share of releases are read first by software: AI tools that summarise inboxes, aggregators, and answer engines that pull facts from newswires.
Releases still work when they contain actual news, stated plainly. They fail when they read like advertising. The good news is that the writing that works for busy journalists is the same writing that works for AI summaries: specific, factual, front-loaded.
Is It Actually News?
Before writing, answer honestly: why would someone outside your company care? Real news usually involves at least one of:
- Something new and available now (a launch, a location, a service).
- Numbers that are surprising or significant.
- A change that affects people (pricing, policy, access).
- A first, a record, or a milestone with context.
- A partnership that changes what customers can do.
“We are excited to announce our new website” is not news. If you are not sure, a blog post or customer email may be a better channel.
The Structure
- Headline: the news in plain words, under about 12 words.
- Subheadline: the most important supporting detail.
- Dateline and first paragraph: who, what, when, where, why, in two or three sentences.
- Second paragraph: the detail that makes it matter, ideally with a number.
- Quote: one, from a real person, saying something a fact cannot.
- Supporting details: availability, pricing, links.
- Boilerplate: two or three sentences about the company.
- Media contact: a name and a way to reach them.
Keep it to one page.
A Before And After
Before:
ACME Corp is thrilled to announce the launch of its revolutionary, industry-leading solution that leverages cutting-edge AI to empower businesses to unlock unprecedented productivity.
After:
MANCHESTER, 4 November 2026: Acme today released Acme Desk, a scheduling tool for clinics that cuts missed appointments by sending reminders in the patient’s own language. In a three-month pilot at 12 clinics, no-shows fell from 11% to 6%. Acme Desk is available now from £29 per month.
The second version answers what, who for, what changed and how much, in three sentences. Every adjective in the first version is gone.
Write A Quote Worth Quoting
Most release quotes are filler (“We are delighted…”). Journalists skip them. A useful quote gives opinion, reasoning or context that facts cannot:
“Most clinics lose a morning a week to no-shows, and the main reason in our pilot was that patients did not understand the reminder. Translating it fixed more than any other change we tried,” said Dana Okoro, Acme’s head of product.
Quotes must come from the named person and be approved by them.
Make It Easy To Use And To Cite
- Put key facts in text, not only in images or PDFs.
- Include exact numbers and dates, which journalists and AI tools quote. See why AI search rewards exact numbers and dates.
- Publish it on your own site as well as any wire service, with a clear date.
- Link to a press kit with images, logos and bios.
- Avoid embargo confusion: if there is an embargo, state the date and time with time zone at the top.
If any claims are about performance or comparisons, make sure you can substantiate them. The FTC’s advertising guidance applies to promotional claims wherever they appear.
Editing Pass
A Wrivio Context for press releases could say:
Rewrite this as a news-style press release paragraph. Plain, factual and specific, third person, no superlatives or marketing adjectives such as revolutionary, cutting-edge or innovative. Lead with what happened and who it affects. Keep every name, number, date, price and quote exactly as written. Do not add claims or quotes that are not in the original.
Press Ctrl+Shift+Space on each paragraph and check that numbers and quotes are untouched.
Pitch, Do Not Blast
Sending a release to a large list rarely works. A short personal email to a few relevant journalists, explaining why this matters to their readers, works better. See how to write a cold outreach email.
Common Questions
Are press releases still worth it in 2026?
For genuine news, yes, especially for local press, trade publications and official records. For minor updates, a blog post or newsletter usually reaches the right people more effectively.
Do press releases help SEO?
Wire-distributed releases rarely help rankings directly. A release that earns real coverage and links from publications helps much more, as does publishing the release on your own site.
How long should a press release be?
Around 300 to 500 words. If it needs more, the extra detail belongs in a linked blog post or press kit.
Can I use AI to write a press release?
It can help tighten your draft, but the news, numbers and quotes must be real and approved. Generic AI releases are easy to spot and easy to ignore.
Download Wrivio for Windows to strip the hype out of your press release drafts while keeping every fact intact.
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