Write a Press Release with AI

1. 1

   Define the News and Key Messages

   Identify the genuine news value of your announcement and determine the 3-5 key messages before writing a single line of copy.

   ChatGPT Claude

   I need to write a press release. Help me identify the news value and key messages before drafting.
   
   **The announcement**: [describe what happened, e.g., 'We raised a $5M seed round led by Accel Partners' or 'We launched a new product called X that does Y' or 'We partnered with Company Z']
   
   **My company**: [company name, one-sentence description of what we do, stage/size]
   
   **Intended audience**: [who should care about this? — journalists, industry publications, potential customers, investors, general public?]
   
   **Target publications or outlets**: [where you hope this gets covered, e.g., TechCrunch, local business press, industry trade publications]
   
   Help me answer:
   
   1. **Genuine News Value**: Is this announcement genuinely newsworthy, or is it more of a marketing statement? Be honest. What makes this news rather than an ad? What would make a journalist say 'I want to cover this'?
   
   2. **The Lead**: In one sentence, what is the most newsworthy thing about this announcement? This becomes your headline and first sentence.
   
   3. **Key Messages** (3-5): What are the most important facts a journalist should know? Rank them by importance. Include: what happened, why it matters, who it affects, and what it means for the future.
   
   4. **The 'So What' Test**: Why should someone who has never heard of my company care about this? Write the answer in 2 sentences from the perspective of a reader at [target publication].
   
   5. **Quotes Needed**: What quotes will make this release credible and human? Who should be quoted (founder, investor, partner, customer), and what should each person's quote convey?

   Copy

   Tip: The test of genuine news value is simple: if your company name were replaced with a competitor's name, would the story still be worth covering? If yes, you have a story. If the only interesting thing is that it happened to YOUR company, you have a press release that will be ignored. Make the story about the impact, not about yourself.

2. 2

   Draft the Press Release

   Write the complete press release following standard AP-style format that journalists expect and editors can publish with minimal changes.

   ChatGPT Claude

   Write a press release using the following information. Follow standard press release format and AP Style.
   
   **Company**: [company name]
   **Headquarters**: [city, state/country]
   **Date**: [release date or 'FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE']
   **The news**: [one-sentence summary]
   **Key details**: [all facts, figures, dates, names, and specifics — be exhaustive here]
   **Why it matters**: [from Step 1]
   **Quote 1 — [Person's name, title]**: [either a real quote you want included, or 'generate a quote that conveys [message]' — you'll approve/modify]
   **Quote 2 — [Person's name, title]** (if applicable): [same]
   **Company boilerplate**: [2-3 sentence standard company description to use at the end — if you don't have one, ask AI to draft one]
   **Media contact**: [name, email, phone]
   
   Write the full press release in this structure:
   
   [COMPANY LOGO PLACEHOLDER]
   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / EMBARGOED UNTIL [date]
   
   **HEADLINE**: [attention-grabbing, newsy, under 15 words]
   **Subheadline**: [supporting detail, one sentence]
   
   [DATELINE — City, Date] — [Opening paragraph: who, what, when, where, why — the whole story in 2-3 sentences. A journalist should be able to publish just this paragraph and have a complete story.]
   
   [Second paragraph: most important supporting details and context]
   
   [Quote 1 paragraph]
   
   [Third paragraph: additional details, product specs, market context, or background]
   
   [Quote 2 paragraph, if applicable]
   
   [Closing paragraph: forward-looking statement, availability, pricing, or next steps]
   
   ### About [Company Name]
   [Boilerplate]
   
   **Media Contact:**
   [Name]
   [Title]
   [Email]
   [Phone]
   
   ###

   Copy

   Tip: Journalists get hundreds of press releases. They read the headline and the first paragraph — sometimes only the first sentence. If your entire story isn't in the first paragraph, most journalists won't find it. Write the first paragraph as if everything after it will be deleted. This is called the inverted pyramid, and it's non-negotiable for press releases.

3. 3

   Write the Pitch Email

   A press release alone rarely gets coverage. This is the personalized email pitch you send to specific journalists that makes them actually open the release.

   Claude ChatGPT Grammarly

   Write a journalist pitch email to accompany my press release.
   
   **The announcement**: [one sentence]
   **The journalist/outlet I'm pitching**: [name and publication, e.g., 'Sarah Chen at TechCrunch who covers enterprise SaaS']
   **Why this journalist specifically**: [what they've covered recently that relates to my news]
   **The exclusive offer**: [are you offering this journalist a first look, an exclusive interview, access to data, etc.? If nothing exclusive, say 'no exclusive offer']
   **The human story angle**: [what's the person behind this story? A founder who overcame something, a problem that started personally, a surprising insight?]
   
   Write the email:
   
   **Subject Line**: [5 options — short, specific, no 'Press Release:' prefix. Use the journalist's name if it helps.]
   
   **Email Body** (max 150 words — journalists read on mobile):
   - Paragraph 1 (2-3 sentences): The news, why it's relevant to THIS journalist's beat. Mention a specific article they wrote to show you've done homework.
   - Paragraph 2 (2-3 sentences): Why their readers specifically would care. The human or business angle.
   - Paragraph 3 (1-2 sentences): What you're offering — interview, data, exclusive, product demo.
   - Close: One clear ask. 'Would you have 15 minutes this week to hear more?' or 'I've attached the full release — let me know if you'd like to speak with [founder name].'
   
   Also write:
   - A follow-up email for 5 days later (if no response) — shorter, more direct, different angle
   - A 'final follow-up' for 10 days later — professional, not pushy, leaves door open

   Copy

   Tip: Never send the same pitch to 50 journalists at once. Personalize the first 2-3 sentences for each journalist based on what they've recently written. It takes 10 extra minutes per journalist and produces 5-10x the response rate. Journalists can tell in the first sentence whether you've read their work or copy-pasted a blast email.

4. 4

   Prepare Supporting Assets

   Create the supporting materials journalists need to write their story — quotes, facts, and background that make your announcement easy to cover.

   ChatGPT Claude

   Create the supporting assets to accompany my press release.
   
   **The announcement**: [one sentence]
   **Key facts and figures**: [all relevant data points, metrics, milestones]
   
   1. **Fact Sheet**: Create a one-page fact sheet with:
      - Company overview (5 bullet points)
      - The announcement at a glance (key facts, dates, numbers)
      - Key statistics about the market or problem being addressed
      - Product/service specs or offering details (if applicable)
      - Leadership team (names, titles, one-line bios)
      - Timeline: key company milestones to date
   
   2. **Additional Quote Bank**: Write 5-8 additional quotes from [spokesperson name] covering different angles of the story. Journalists may ask for additional quotes for their specific angle — having a bank ready saves time. Cover: why this matters, what's next, what this means for customers/the industry, a personal note from the founder.
   
   3. **FAQ for Journalists**: Write 10 questions a journalist might ask about this announcement, with clear, honest answers. Include tough questions like 'How is this different from [competitor]?' and 'What are the risks?' Prepare for the hard questions now rather than being caught off guard.
   
   4. **Social Media Announcement**: Write ready-to-post announcements for:
      - LinkedIn (company page post, 200 words, professional tone)
      - Twitter/X (3 tweet options — one with a stat, one with a quote, one conversational)
      - A short statement for the company website or blog intro

   Copy

   Tip: Prepare the FAQ before you get any journalist calls. The best interviews happen when you've already thought through the hard questions. If a journalist asks something your FAQ doesn't cover, that's a gap — add it before your next press campaign.

Recommended Tools for This Scenario

ChatGPT

Freemium

The AI assistant that started the generative AI revolution

• GPT-4o multimodal model with text, vision, and audio
• DALL-E 3 image generation
• Code Interpreter for data analysis and visualization

Get Started →

Claude

Freemium

Anthropic's AI assistant built for thoughtful analysis and safe, nuanced conversations

• 200K token context window for massive document processing
• Artifacts — interactive side-panel for code, docs, and visualizations
• Projects with persistent context and custom instructions

Get Started →

Grammarly

Freemium

AI-powered writing assistant for grammar, clarity, and tone

• Real-time grammar, spelling, and punctuation correction
• Tone detection and adjustment
• Full-sentence rewrite suggestions

Get Started →