For immediate release · The press room
How publicity actually works: campaign craft, media relations, measurement and the ethics of the trade, explained in 210 evergreen reads. Plus two desk tools you can use right now.
01 · Release builder
A press release has a shape that news desks expect. Fill in the parts on the left and the sheet on the right sets them in the order an editor reads them, most important first. It is a structure guide, not a writing service: nothing you type leaves this page.
What kind of announcement?
Tells the desk when the story may run. Most releases are for immediate release; an embargo asks journalists to hold it until a stated time.
The news in one plain line, written as a fact rather than a slogan.
One sentence that adds the most useful detail the headline could not carry.
City and date, then a lead that answers who, what, when, where and why. If an editor cut everything else, this paragraph should still stand.
The facts that back the lead, in falling order of importance. Short paragraphs; figures only where you can name the source. Leave a blank line between paragraphs.
One quote that adds opinion or meaning, not a repeat of the facts. It must be something the person actually said or approved.
A link, an event detail, or how to get images and interviews.
The standard paragraph about the organisation that sits after the end mark. The same words every time.
A named person, with an email and a phone number that someone actually answers.
0 of 4 layers in place
Guidance only. Word ranges are newsroom rules of thumb, not requirements, and every outlet has its own style. Your draft is kept in this browser so it survives a reload; Clear removes it.
02 · On the page
The first two lines carry the news. If an editor cuts from the bottom, nothing that matters should be lost.
Two announcements in one release usually means neither runs. Split them, or pick the one a reader needs.
Figures carry a source, quotes are real and approved, and anything a journalist might verify is easy to find.
03 · Media kit checklist
A journalist who says yes will want material quickly. Tick off what you already have; the press pass fills as you go and stamps itself when the essentials are packed. Open any item to see why it matters.
0 of 6 essentials packed
Journalists check names, dates and figures against it. One page means it gets read, and it saves answering the same questions by phone.
The same short description everywhere stops each outlet writing its own version of who you are.
Only the signed off version goes in the kit. Earlier drafts in circulation make quotes and figures drift.
Deadlines do not wait for a general inbox. A person who answers is often the difference between being included and left out.
Designers need a version that works on light and dark backgrounds, in vector and in PNG, without asking.
Picture desks need the image, the caption and the credit together. A photo with no credit line often cannot be used at all.
Current, well lit and cleared for editorial use. An old photo becomes the one that keeps running.
Broadcast and online desks can build a story around usable footage. Label each clip with what it shows and how long it runs.
A two line version for captions and a paragraph for features, both checked by the person they describe.
Matching the question to the right spokesperson saves a round trip and gives the journalist a better interview.
Windows for interviews, stated in the journalist's time zone, turn a maybe into a booking.
Gives a feature writer depth without needing a long call, and keeps the history accurate.
Every figure a journalist might repeat should point to where it came from. Unsourced numbers are the first thing an editor cuts.
Including the awkward ones. Writing them down first shows where the story is weak before a journalist finds it.
A clear time, date and time zone at the top of every embargoed file. Ambiguity is how embargoes get broken by accident.
Say what each image may be used for and how it must be credited, so nobody has to guess.
Helps outlets publish accessibly, and gives a quick written summary of what each asset shows.
When material is updated, a date makes it obvious which version is current.
04 · The reference desk
Every article in the library is an evergreen explainer on how the trade works. Pull a subject from its slot, or search the whole library.
05 · On the spike
Six pieces from the library that most often answer the question someone is about to ask. See all 210.
A practitioner representing two clients with overlapping or competing interests carries an obligation to recognise the conflict early, rather than...
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An embargo is a courtesy extended to journalists, offering advance material on the shared understanding that publication will wait until an agreed...
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Earned coverage carries a credibility that cannot simply be purchased, because an audience understands that a journalist or commentator chose to...
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Most campaigns do not fail for lack of creativity. They fail because too many goals are asked of one plan at once, so awareness, perception, signups...
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A core promise is the single commitment a brand makes to everyone who engages with it in any way, the one thing an audience can reliably expect...
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A pitch arriving an hour before a publication's daily deadline competes directly with every other demand on a journalist's attention that afternoon,...
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06 · How the room works
A short, specific note to the right journalist, explaining why this matters to their readers. Tailored beats mass mailed.
Read: The anatomy of a strong pitch emailIf material goes out early, the embargo time is stated clearly and respected on both sides. It runs on trust.
Read: Respecting embargoes as a matter of professional trustSpokespeople prepare for the questions they would rather not get, not only the ones they want.
Read: Preparing for unscripted questions in interviewsOne useful follow up, then let it rest. The relationship matters more than any single story.
Read: Building a journalist relationship before you need one