Question 1

What is AP style and why do press releases use it?

Accepted Answer

AP (Associated Press) style is the editorial standard for journalism in the US and widely adopted for PR communications because it matches how journalists write and edit. Key AP conventions: numbers one through nine are spelled out (ten and above use numerals), months with six or more letters are abbreviated in dates (Jan. 15 not January 15), titles before names are capitalised (President Smith), company names use the organisation's official capitalisation. Using AP style signals to journalists that your release is professionally prepared and ready to quote.

Question 2

What is the correct structure for a press release?

Accepted Answer

Standard press release structure: (1) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE or embargo date at the top; (2) headline — newsworthy, active voice, title case; (3) sub-headline — optional, adds context; (4) dateline — CITY, State, Month DD, YYYY —; (5) lead paragraph — the 5 Ws: who, what, when, where, why in one or two sentences; (6) body paragraphs — supporting detail, quotes, context; (7) boilerplate — About [Company] paragraph that stays the same every time; (8) ### — signals end of release; (9) contact — name, title, email, phone.

Question 3

What makes a press release newsworthy?

Accepted Answer

Journalists use a news value framework: Timeliness (happening now or very recently), Significance (affects many people), Novelty (genuinely new — not just 'improved'), Proximity (local or national relevance to the outlet), Human interest (a person affected by the story). A product launch is not inherently newsworthy — what problem does it solve for how many people, and why now? Lead with impact, not announcement. Avoid 'pleased to announce' — that's marketing language, not news.

Question 4

How long should a press release be?

Accepted Answer

400–600 words is the standard length — roughly one A4 page. Journalists receive hundreds of releases per week; anything over one page risks being abandoned mid-read. Get the news into the first two sentences. Each paragraph should stand alone so a journalist can cut from the bottom and still have a complete story. If you have supporting data, put it in an embedded table or offer a separate fact sheet — don't pad the body.

Section	Example	Purpose
Release date	FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	Tells journalists when they can publish
Headline	Acme Corp Launches AI Tool for SMBs	Newsworthy hook in active voice, title case
Dateline	NEW YORK, Jan. 15, 2025 —	Location and date at start of first paragraph
Lead paragraph	Who, what, when, where, why in 2 sentences	The entire story in summary — journalist can quote this
Body + quotes	Supporting detail + CEO quote	Expands the news, adds authority via attribution
Boilerplate ###	About Acme Corp... / ### / Contact	Company bio, end marker, PR contact details

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