---
title: "How to write a press release Irish editors will actually open"
description: "How to write a press release that gets read: a working template covering headline, first paragraph, quotes, data, timing and the follow-up."
url: "https://tide-brand-boost.lovable.app/insights/how-to-write-a-press-release"
author: "Anna Wymes"
published: "2026-08-03T09:00:00+00:00"
categories: "Media Relations"
---

# How to write a press release Irish editors will actually open

**In plain English:** Most press releases are deleted on the subject line. A clear structure, a real story and good timing matter far more than clever wording.

## Key takeaways

- Lead with the story, not the announcement — and keep it under 400 words.
- The first paragraph should stand alone as the whole story.
- Twelve tailored emails beat two hundred generic ones.
- Follow up by offering something new, never by asking if they got your email.

Journalists in Ireland receive far more releases than they can read. Most are deleted on the subject line. Learning **how to write a press release** is largely learning how to survive the first four seconds.

## The template

**Subject line.** The story, not the announcement. "Irish manufacturer adds 40 jobs as EU orders rise" beats "Company X announces exciting expansion". No "PRESS RELEASE:" prefix. No exclamation marks.

**Headline.** Under twelve words, active verb, specific number where one exists.

**First paragraph.** Who, what, where, when, how much — in one sentence a sub-editor could publish unchanged. If the reader stops here, they should still have the story.

**Second paragraph.** Why it matters beyond your organisation. Sector context, market shift, policy relevance.

**Third paragraph.** The best quote. One human being saying one thing that could not have been written by a committee. Delete any quote containing "delighted", "excited to announce" or "leading provider".

**Fourth paragraph.** Evidence — data, timeline, investment figure, customer numbers. Cite the source.

**Fifth paragraph.** Practical detail: availability, locations, dates, links.

**Notes to editors.** Boilerplate, images at print resolution, and a named contact with a mobile number that will be answered this evening.

Total: under 400 words.

## What kills it

- **No news.** A rebrand is not news. A rebrand that follows a merger and a strategy change might be.
- **Embargoes nobody agreed to.** An embargo is a negotiated agreement, not a stamp.
- **Attachments.** Paste the text in the body; link large images.
- **Blind mass sends.** Twelve tailored emails outperform two hundred generic ones, every time.
- **No visual.** For most Irish outlets, a usable photograph materially increases the odds of publication.

## Timing

Tuesday to Thursday, before 10am, is the general rule for national desks. Trade and sector titles work to different rhythms — check their publication cycle rather than assuming. Avoid Friday afternoons unless you specifically want the story to be missed, which is sometimes the honest brief.

## The follow-up

One phone call, offering something the release did not contain: an interview, exclusive data, a site visit, an early look. Never a call asking "did you get my email?"

## The uncomfortable truth

The release is the last five per cent of the work. The other ninety-five is having a story worth telling and knowing which four journalists cover that exact beat this month. Format cannot rescue a non-story — but poor format regularly buries a good one.

Write fewer releases. Make each one true, specific and timely.

---

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Contact: Anna Wymes, Founder, TIDE Studio — anna.wymes@gmail.com
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