ChatGPT Prompts for Press Releases: Wire-Ready Templates
ChatGPT prompts for press releases that journalists actually read. AP-style formatting, headline formulas, and distribution-ready structures for product launches and announcements.
The Prompt
Act as a PR writer with 10 years of experience placing stories in TechCrunch, Forbes, and Business Insider.
Write a press release for:
Company name: {company}
Announcement type: {product launch / funding round / partnership / milestone / executive hire}
Core news: {what happened, specifically}
Why it matters to readers: {the broader significance — not just to the company}
Key quote subject: {name and title of the person being quoted}
Supporting data: {stats, metrics, or proof points}
Distribution target: {tech media / trade press / local media / general business}
Embargo date (if any): {date or "none"}
Output:
1. Headline (under 100 characters — news-first, no hype)
2. Subhead (adds detail, under 150 characters)
3. Dateline (City, State, Date —)
4. Lead paragraph (who, what, when, where, why — under 75 words)
5. Body (2-3 paragraphs: context, significance, supporting data)
6. Executive quote (1 quote, 2-3 sentences — must say something journalists can pull as a standalone)
7. Customer/partner quote (if applicable — 1 quote)
8. Boilerplate (standard "About [Company]" paragraph — 75 words)
9. Contact information block
Constraints:
- Headline must not read like an ad — it must read like a news headline
- Lead paragraph answers all 5 W's without requiring the reader to scroll
- Quotes must not contain jargon or clichés ("We are excited to announce", "this is a game-changer")
- All claims must be factual — no unverifiable superlatives
Variables to fill in
-
{announcement type}What kind of news this is -
{core news}The specific thing that happened -
{why it matters}The significance to an outside reader -
{supporting data}Numbers and proof points -
{distribution target}Which media outlets or journalists you're targeting
How to use this prompt
- Complete all variables with specific facts before running — vague inputs produce generic outputs
- Have a PR professional review the quote sections before distributing
- Use the headline and lead paragraph as your pitch email subject line and opening
- Submit to PR Newswire, Business Wire, or EIN Presswire using the full formatted output
Journalists get 500 press releases a day
The ones that get placed are the ones that lead with news, not marketing copy. ‘Company X Raises $5M to Scale AI Platform’ is news. ‘Company X Announces Exciting New Chapter in Its Mission to Revolutionize the Industry’ is not. The prompt enforces a news-first headline — the single biggest factor in whether a journalist reads past line one.
The boilerplate is more important than most companies realize
Every press release gets syndicated, picked up, and stored. The boilerplate is how journalists — and Google — understand who you are without digging deeper. Keep it accurate, current, and under 75 words.
Quotes must be quotable
A journalist pulling a quote needs something that sounds like a human said it, not like it was written by a committee. The prompt’s quote constraints (‘must say something journalists can pull as a standalone’) eliminate the most common press release failure: a quote that says nothing specific.
Related free tools
- Free AI Prompt Generator — build structured prompts instantly
- AI Token Counter — estimate API costs before you run long prompts
- AI ROI Calculator — calculate the business value of AI adoption