Study smarter with Fiveable
Get study guides, practice questions, and cheatsheets for all your subjects. Join 500,000+ students with a 96% pass rate.
Every press release you write competes with hundreds of others landing in journalists' inboxes daily. Understanding the structural components isn't just about following a template—you're being tested on your ability to recognize how each element serves a specific strategic function: capturing attention, establishing credibility, providing essential context, and making the journalist's job easier. These components work together as a persuasive system designed to maximize the chances your news actually gets covered.
The principles at play here include information hierarchy, source attribution, brand consistency, and media relations strategy. When you analyze a press release, you should be able to identify not just what each component is, but why it's positioned where it is and how it serves both the organization's goals and the journalist's needs. Don't just memorize the parts—know what communication principle each element demonstrates.
These components appear first because they determine whether a journalist keeps reading or moves on. The inverted pyramid principle applies here: front-load your most compelling information.
Compare: Headline vs. Lead Paragraph—both capture essential information, but the headline attracts while the lead informs. The headline is a hook; the lead is the payoff. If asked to critique a press release, always check whether these two elements align in message and tone.
These components establish when, where, and under what conditions the news can be shared. They're about logistics and credibility—the metadata journalists need to process your release correctly.
Compare: Release Date/Time vs. Dateline—the release date controls when journalists can publish; the dateline tells them when and where the news originated. One is about media logistics, the other is about news context.
The body of your release builds out the story with evidence, context, and human voices. These elements transform an announcement into a story worth covering.
Compare: Body Paragraphs vs. Quotes—body paragraphs deliver facts objectively; quotes deliver perspective and personality. Together, they balance credibility with human interest. Strong releases integrate quotes into the body rather than clustering them at the end.
These components ensure consistent organizational representation and make it easy for journalists to learn more or verify information. They're about professionalism and accessibility.
Compare: Logo vs. Boilerplate—both establish brand identity, but the logo works visually and instantly, while the boilerplate works textually and provides depth. The logo says "who we are" at a glance; the boilerplate says "why we matter."
These components facilitate the journalist's follow-up process. Poor contact information can kill an otherwise perfect release.
Compare: Contact Information vs. Media Contact—in many releases these are the same person, but larger organizations separate them. The media contact handles journalist logistics; other contacts may provide subject-matter expertise. Know when to use both.
| Concept | Best Examples |
|---|---|
| Attention/Hook | Headline, Lead Paragraph |
| Timing/Logistics | Release Date/Time, Dateline |
| Information Hierarchy | Lead Paragraph, Body Paragraphs |
| Credibility/Evidence | Quotes, Body Paragraphs, Boilerplate |
| Human Element | Quotes |
| Brand Consistency | Logo, Boilerplate |
| Media Accessibility | Contact Information, Media Contact |
| Inverted Pyramid Structure | Lead Paragraph, Body Paragraphs |
Which two components both establish timing but serve different strategic purposes? Explain how each functions differently in the release.
If a journalist has never heard of your organization, which component provides them with essential background—and where should it appear in the release?
Compare and contrast the headline and the lead paragraph. What does each accomplish, and why do you need both?
A press release includes great facts but reads as dry and impersonal. Which component is likely weak or missing, and how would you fix it?
You're asked to evaluate whether a press release follows proper information hierarchy. Which components would you examine, and what structural principle should guide their organization?