Write a press release with the news first

The first paragraph of a press release should still make sense if every adjective disappears. Readers need to know what happened, who is involved, where it applies and when it takes effect. A statement that a company is delighted to announce something delays those answers while adding little information.

Imagine a fictional training provider introducing evening sessions at a second venue. A usable opening might read: ‘Harbour Skills will offer evening bookkeeping classes at its West Street venue from 12 September, adding two weekday sessions to its existing daytime programme.’ These invented details illustrate the structure; a real release needs verified names, dates and availability. The sentence describes a development without claiming that it transforms education.

Give the next paragraph a different job

Explain who can use the offer, what changes from the current arrangement and where confirmed details can be found. Do not restate the headline in longer language. If registrations have not opened or some terms remain undecided, say so. Announcing a future service is different from telling readers it is available now.

A quotation should add a person's reasoning, observation or responsibility. ‘We are thrilled’ provides little that a reporter can use. A more useful hypothetical quotation explains why evening sessions were selected, while keeping any evidence precise. Do not put words in a spokesperson's mouth without approval or use a quotation to disguise an unsupported claim that would be unacceptable in the main text.

Make checking easy

Place supporting figures beside their definitions. State whether a number describes places, bookings or completed attendance; those are not interchangeable. Link to the relevant source or provide a separate factual note when the explanation would interrupt the opening. A journalist should not have to reconstruct the calculation from a decorative graphic.

Finish with a short description of the organisation and a contact who can answer questions. Keep this description factual: activity, location and relevant scope. Include image access or a media fact sheet only if they are ready and useful. Test links without relying on your own signed-in access, and identify any timing restrictions before sending the material.

A headline and opening should agree

A common editing problem is a headline that announces a result while the body describes only a plan. ‘Workshop expands access’ may sound concise, but the opening must establish what access has actually changed. If sessions are proposed but not confirmed, the headline needs that same boundary. Check verbs especially carefully: launches, plans, tests and completes describe different stages.

Use the release's first two paragraphs as a compact information test. Ask a colleague to identify the change, timing and affected audience without looking further down. If the answer comes from a quotation or footnote, move the essential fact upwards. This is not a rule that every release must have an identical structure; it is a check that the news does not depend on promotional material to become intelligible.

Do a separate numerical pass before approval. Read dates, quantities, units and names against the source material rather than reading the prose for flow. A fluent sentence makes a wrong number easy to overlook. Then check that the subject line, headline, attached release and linked page describe the same version of the announcement.

Read the release from the bottom upwards to spot sentences that merely repeat the opening. Then read the opening aloud on its own. If the development remains unclear, rearrange the facts before polishing the headline. A release is a source document, not a promise that the recipient will publish your wording.