If you are wondering how to write a press release, start from the verifiable fact — a launch, a contract, a figure, an appointment — not from a slogan. The text is short, in the third person, with the answer to “why does it matter now” in the first lines. You structure it in six steps: choose the news, the lead, the body, the quote, the boilerplate and the final check. No step guarantees pick-up by the press; the structure only makes the information easier for an editor to assess.
What is a press release, in practice?
A press release is the document through which an organisation publicly announces an event or a decision, in a standardised format, with date, place and a contact person. If publication is paid, the commercial origin has to be visibly labelled; otherwise it can become disguised advertising within the meaning of Romanian Law 363/2007, Annex 1, point 11. See the difference between a press release and an advertorial.
What are the steps for writing a press release?
The steps follow the order in which an editor reads: headline, first paragraph, details, contact. Do not skip any — a draft without a contact or without a clear lead goes straight to the archive. Set aside separate time for checking the figures; they are the first thing a sceptical journalist verifies.
- Formulate the news in one sentence. If you cannot say it in 20 words, the subject is not clear yet.
- Write the lead — who, what, when, where, why it matters — in at most 50 words.
- Develop the body in decreasing order of importance; every paragraph has to work without the next one.
- Add a quote from an identifiable person in the company, with their full job title.
- Include verifiable figures — turnover, number of employees, contract value — with the internal source ready for possible checks.
- Close with the boilerplate — the standard paragraph about the company — and the contact block (name, title, email, phone).
The checklist at the end of the article covers the points an unfinished draft most often leaves out.
How do you write the headline and the first paragraph?
The headline says what happened, not what the company feels. The lead concentrates the answer to “so what?” in at most 50 words. An example of the form: “Company X announces the opening of its Cluj-Napoca factory, with 120 jobs, in the fourth quarter of 2026.” For significant recruitment — dozens or hundreds of positions, not a single job — the HR structure is detailed in press release for hiring.
If it does not answer “why should an editor care right now?”, the lead gets rewritten.
Which contact information has to be included?
The contact block contains full name, job title, email and phone with the +40 prefix. Check that the address answers — an email that bounces on the editor's first reply closes the subject. Optionally add the hours in which you are available for phone clarifications.
For embargoed releases — a future date from which the text may be published — the mention “EMBARGO until [date, time, time zone]” appears above the headline, not at the end. The journalist has to see the restriction before reading the content.
How do you send the release without promises you cannot keep?
You send the text by email, through a form or by publishing on your own site. The recipient decides whether to publish. No supplier, and not comunicate.top either, can guarantee pick-up in a particular newspaper or on a particular portal — and any wording that promises this deserves scepticism.
What you can control:
- the clarity of the news;
- compliance with the standard structure;
- availability for clarifications;
- correct labelling if the material is paid (see press release versus advertorial and Law 365/2002, Article 6).
For product launches, the section on what the release body does differently from a commercial announcement is detailed in the guide for product launches. If an incident escalates, messages move to the crisis communication checklist.
Which mistakes make an editor reject a release?
Editors reject releases that consume time without delivering clear news: boastful headlines, long leads, empty quotes, missing contact. The table below lists the five errors that appear most often in unfinished drafts — and how you fix them without rewriting the whole text.
| Mistake | Why it matters | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Boastful headline, no fact | it is not news | rephrase around an action verb |
| Lead over 80 words | does not fit the preview | cut to 50 |
| Missing date and place | incomplete information | add them in the first two lines |
| Generic quote (“we are delighted”) | zero information | ask for a quote with data or a decision |
| Incomplete contact | the editor gives up | check email and phone |
| Links without context | looks like spam | at most two relevant links |
The final check of the release
Go through the list below in order — do not reverse it. The first three points decide whether the material is news; the last three decide whether the editor can contact you and whether the text respects the legal framework for labelling paid content. Tick every line before you press send.
- The headline contains a verifiable fact, not a slogan.
- The lead answers who / what / when / where / why it matters.
- There is at least one figure or concrete, verifiable detail.
- The quote includes the full name and job title.
- The boilerplate is up to date (registered office, activity code, year founded).
- The contact block is complete.
- If the material is paid, it carries a visible commercial label — under Law 365/2002, Article 6(2).
- You have removed unjustified superlatives (“revolutionary”, “unique on the market” without proof).
The structure by section — lead, body, boilerplate, footnotes — is detailed in the guide to the structure of a press release.
Finished the text and want to publish it? The publication pricing page shows what the brief has to contain, what we check and which results cannot be promised. Send the final version, the sender's details, the deadline and the proposed links.
Once it is written, two practical questions follow: where to publish it and what it costs, each with market figures.
Frequently asked questions
How many words should a press release have?
Between 300 and 600 words for most subjects. Technical releases can reach 800, but short paragraphs remain mandatory — an editor cuts from a text, they do not extend it.
Can you write a press release in the first person?
No. The third person is the standard — “The company announces”, not “We announce”. The exception: the quote in the body, in quotation marks and attributed to an identified person.
Do you have to include photos?
It is not mandatory. If the subject has a visual component, provide the caption, credit and usage rights separately. Use a stable link for large files, not a PDF in which images and text cannot be extracted separately.
Does a press release guarantee an appearance in the press?
No. Publication depends on the relevance of the news, on timing and on each editor's decision. A clear, verifiable text raises the probability of a response, but does not turn it into certainty.
Where do you publish the release if you have no list of journalists?
On your site's press page, on your own channels and by sending it directly to relevant newsrooms. If you choose a paid publishing channel, check the commercial labelling — the legal obligations are the same whatever the platform.
Last updated: 19 August 2026.