If there is an art to writing a press release, it may, like any other art, ultimately be in the eye of the beholder. Something that is newsworthy to one journalist may bore another to death. Something that ends in one journalist’s trash can become another’s banner headline. That said, having received thousands of press releases in 15 years as a journalist, and written a fair share since making the switch to public relations, I think it is safe to say that there are at least some basic principles that distinguish better-written press releases from real dogs.
