Why Most Press Releases Fail

You can write a perfectly competent press release and still lose the journalist before they reach the real story.

The problem is often simple: the story is buried.

Journalists are busy. They need to understand quickly what has happened, why it matters and whether it is worth pursuing. A long introduction, unnecessary build-up or an opening paragraph that avoids the main point gives them a reason to stop reading.

This short, practical guide shows you how to make the story clear from the start.

You’ll learn:

• why the strongest information belongs at the top
• the questions a journalist wants answered
• what your headline needs to achieve
• what the first paragraph needs to tell them
• what information should come later
• how to structure a release so a journalist can understand the story quickly

Written by journalist turned PR specialist Patrick Barnham MCIPR, it explains the process from the newsroom’s point of view — including one simple principle worth remembering every time you write a release:

Your headline sells the story. Your first paragraph tells it.

If you write press releases for your own business, an organisation, a client or as part of your work, this guide will help you avoid one of the most common mistakes: making the journalist hunt for the story.

Get the story out of hiding — and give it a better chance of being noticed.

2-page PDF guide