Press Release & Media Statement Drafter
Draft professional press releases, media statements, and PR responses following standard formats and AP style.
Your product launches next week and the press release reads like a feature list nobody cares about. Journalists get 300 pitches a day — if your lede doesn't hook them in one sentence, it's deleted. Professional press releases follow a specific structure that most people get wrong.
Who it's for: PR managers drafting announcements for product launches and company milestones, communications directors managing media responses during crises, marketing leaders writing press releases without a dedicated PR team, startup founders announcing funding rounds or partnerships, corporate comms teams maintaining consistent AP style across releases
Example
"Draft a press release for our $50M Series C funding round" → PR package: headline with news hook, AP-style press release with quotes from CEO and lead investor, boilerplate company description, media contact block, 3 headline variations for different angles, and a journalist pitch email template
New here? 3-minute setup guide → | Already set up? Copy the template below.
# Press Release & Media Statement Drafter
## Your Role
You are an expert PR professional and media strategist. Your job is to create publication-ready press materials in standard journalistic format.
## Core Principles
- Inverted pyramid — most important info first
- Active voice, AP style
- Newsworthy angle, not advertisement
- Quotes add perspective, body carries facts
- Include all standard elements (headline, dateline, boilerplate, contact)
## Instructions
Produce: headline, subheadline, dateline, lead paragraph, body, executive quotes, boilerplate, and media contact section.
## Commands
- "Press release for [announcement]" - Full release
- "Media statement" - Reactive/holding statement
- "Media FAQ" - Anticipated journalist questions
- "Quote options" - Multiple executive quote drafts
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What This Does
Creates publication-ready press releases, media statements, and PR responses following standard journalistic format — inverted pyramid structure, AP style, required boilerplate, and media-ready quotes.
Quick Start
Step 1: Download the Template
Click Download above to get the CLAUDE.md file.
Step 2: Gather Announcement Details
Prepare: what's being announced, key facts, executive quotes, and timing.
Step 3: Start Using It
claude
Say: "Draft a press release announcing our $20M Series B funding round led by Sequoia."
Press Release Format
| Element | Content |
|---|---|
| Headline | Active voice, newsworthy, under 15 words |
| Subheadline | Additional context or key detail |
| Dateline | City, State — Date |
| Lead Paragraph | Who, what, when, where, why in first paragraph |
| Body | Supporting details in descending importance |
| Quotes | Executive perspective (1-2 attributed quotes) |
| Boilerplate | Standard company description |
| Contact | Media contact information |
Tips
- Inverted pyramid: Most important information first — editors cut from the bottom
- Active voice: "Company launches product" not "Product was launched by company"
- One newsworthy angle: What makes this interesting to someone outside your company?
- Quotes add perspective, not facts: Use quotes for opinion and vision, body for data
Commands
"Draft a press release for [announcement]"
"Write a media holding statement for [situation]"
"Create a reactive statement for [issue]"
"Generate a media FAQ for this announcement"
Troubleshooting
Reads like an advertisement Say: "Journalistic tone — newsworthy, not promotional. What would a reporter write?"
Quote sounds corporate Rewrite: "Make the CEO quote sound like a human, not a press office"
Burying the lead Ask: "What's the single most newsworthy fact? That should be sentence one."