Press Release Template
A press release in the structure editors expect: headline, subhead, dateline, a lead that carries the news, body, quotes, a boilerplate “About” section and a press contact.
Free. Fill in, print, save as PDF or download as Word without an account. Saving to your account needs a free account.
Country versions
- International
- Korea *
- Japan *
- Germany *
* check with local advice
A template, not advice.
Read more
What it is
A press release is a short announcement written for journalists and editors rather than for customers. It tells them that something has happened or will happen, gives the key facts in the first lines and supplies what they need to follow up: a quote, some background and a person to call. Editors skim many of them a day, so the structure matters as much as the news: a headline that states the news, a lead paragraph that answers who, what, when, where and why it matters, details in order of importance, and a contact line that works.
This template follows that structure on about one page. It has the release line (for immediate release or with an embargo), the headline and subhead, the dateline, the lead, the body, up to two quotes, a boilerplate paragraph about the company and the press contact, and it ends with the end mark of your country. The Korean version follows the 보도자료 layout with a release table and an embargo note; the Japanese version opens with 報道関係者各位 and ends with a company profile table and 以上; the German version keeps the dateline and offers the note on free reprinting. Quotes must come from real people who said or approved them. The quotes in the samples are invented.
When to use it
- You announce a product, partnership, event, funding round or hire and want editors to get the news in the first lines.
- You send the same announcement to several outlets and need one clean page to attach or paste into an email.
- You want an embargo so that outlets can prepare and publish at the same time.
- You have no PR agency and want the conventions of your country right the first time.
How to fill it in
- Fill in the issuer (from your saved company details), choose immediate release or an embargo, and set the city and the date.
- Write the headline, and a subhead with one useful detail.
- Write the lead in two or three sentences: who, what, when, where, and why it matters.
- Add the body in short paragraphs and one or two quotes from people who agreed to be quoted.
- Add the boilerplate about your company and the press contact, and check the phone number and email twice.
- Print the page or download Word, or paste the text into your email.
Common mistakes
- Burying the news in the third paragraph. The lead has to carry it.
- Using promotional adjectives instead of facts. Editors cut them.
- A quote that nobody said or approved, or one that only repeats the lead.
- A contact who cannot be reached on the day of the release.
- An embargo without a date, a time and a time zone in the places where you send it.
- A boilerplate that runs to a page. Two or three sentences are enough.
Steps at a glance
- Fill in
- Check the preview
- Save as PDF, Word or Excel
Country versions
Pick the country you need. Each version uses the wording and layout commonly found there; a version marked “check with local advice” should be read by someone who knows the local rules before it is used.
- International (XX): Written in English, Korean, Japanese, German
- Korea (KR): Written in Korean, English – check with local advice
- Japan (JP): Written in Japanese, English – check with local advice
- Germany (DE): Written in German, English – check with local advice
Designs
The same form in several designs. The fields and the wording stay the same; only the look changes.
- Classic
- Modern
- Minimal
- Warm
- Plain (black and white)
- Formal
- Side band
- Banner
- Executive
- Ledger
- Compact
- Boxed form
Your details fill it in
Fields that ask for your name, address or company details are filled from My details, so you do not type them again; you can still change any field for one form. Signed in, your details stay in your account; otherwise they stay in this browser only. A passport, identity or social security number is never saved.
Questions
- What is an embargo and do journalists have to follow it?
- An embargo is your request that outlets do not publish before a given date and time, so that they can prepare and publish together. It is a courtesy between you and the press, not a rule of law. Send the release to the outlets in good time, state the date, the time and the time zone, and expect that an outlet that did not agree to it may not follow it.
- How long should a press release be?
- About one page. Put the news in the headline and the lead, add the details that an editor needs to write a short article, and link to anything longer, such as images, a product sheet or a report.
- Can I quote a customer, an expert or an executive?
- Only with their agreement, and only with words they said or approved. Write the quote with them or send them the text before you publish. Do not put words into the mouth of a person who has not seen them, and say plainly who they are and what their role is.
- Why does each country’s version look different?
- Newsrooms in each country are used to a particular order and to particular words: a release table and an embargo note in Korea, “to members of the press” and a company profile table in Japan, a Sperrfrist line and the reprint note in Germany. They are customs, not laws, and a release in another layout still reaches editors, but the local layout is read faster.
- Is this form legal, tax or accounting advice?
- No. It is a template: it gives you the usual structure and wording, not advice. Rules differ by country and case, so have someone qualified read anything that matters before you sign, send or file it.
- Which countries and designs does it come in?
- It comes in 4 country versions: International, Korea, Japan, and Germany. 12 designs.
A form is a template, not legal, tax or accounting advice. Rules differ by country and case.