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Official skill · Marketing

Press release draft

v1.0.1 · Updated

Drafts a news release with headline, dateline, a who/what/when/why lead, one quote, boilerplate and contact, and flags when it isn't news. Use it when you have a launch, funding round, partnership or hire to announce to the press.

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When to use it

What you give it

What you get

A release in standard format with a news check at the top and a list of claims that need approval.

How it works

  1. Run the news test (our default) It's news if at least one is true: it's new (first, only, largest in a named group), it has a number an outsider can check, it affects a named group of people, or a known name is involved. If none is true, stop and say "This isn't news yet" with 2 options: a blog post, or what would make it news (a customer number, a partner, a date).
  2. Write the headline 100 characters or fewer (PR Newswire's guidance), factual, active verb, present tense, subject first, one concrete fact: "Northbeam raises 8 million to ..." not "Northbeam announces exciting funding". No exclamation marks, no "announces" unless nothing else fits.
  3. Write the dateline and lead The dateline opens the first paragraph: CITY in caps, date, then a dash. The lead is 1 to 2 sentences, about 25 to 30 words, answering who, what, when, where, and why, so a reader who stops there has the story. Details go in paragraph 2.
  4. Add 1 to 2 supporting paragraphs Numbers, the customer problem, availability and price if a product. Every claim checkable; mark anything not in the input "[check: source]".
  5. Write one quote Quotes carry opinion and context; facts and numbers belong in the body. The quote gives a reason, a belief, or a stake a reporter can't paraphrase from the facts. Cut quotes that restate the headline ("We're thrilled to announce").
  6. Close with boilerplate and contact Boilerplate is the standard "About" paragraph, the same in every release: what the company does, for whom, where, and the website. Our default length: 2 to 3 sentences. Close the release with "###".
  7. Flag the risks List claims that need approval (superlatives, customer names, numbers, partner quotes) before it goes out.

The SKILL.md

The whole file, as your AI reads it. Download it

---
name: press-release-draft
description: Drafts a news release with a headline, dateline, a lead paragraph that answers who, what, when and why, one quote, boilerplate, and a media contact, and flags when the announcement isn't news. Use when someone asks for a press release, news release, media announcement, or "something we can send to journalists" about a launch, funding round, partnership, hire, or milestone.
---

# Press release draft

A good release lets a reporter write a 3-sentence story from the first paragraph alone. Lead with the fact, not the adjectives; if the fact isn't news to an outsider, say so before writing anything.

## When to use

- A launch, funding round, partnership, key hire, acquisition, or public milestone that people outside the company could care about.
- When a founder wants "a press release" and you need to check first whether it should be one.
- Not for a product changelog, a blog post, or a customer email: those don't need a dateline or boilerplate.

## What you need

- The news in one sentence: who did what, and when.
- Why it matters to someone outside the company (a customer, an industry, a city). If missing, ask once; if still missing, flag it as the release's weakest point.
- A quote source: name and title. If no quote was given, draft one and mark it "[draft quote: needs approval from name]".
- Company boilerplate and a media contact. If missing, write "[boilerplate: to confirm]" and "[contact: to confirm]".
- Embargo date or release date, and city for the dateline.

## Steps

1. **Run the news test (our default).** It's news if at least one is true: it's new (first, only, largest in a named group), it has a number an outsider can check, it affects a named group of people, or a known name is involved. If none is true, stop and say "This isn't news yet" with 2 options: a blog post, or what would make it news (a customer number, a partner, a date).
2. **Write the headline.** 100 characters or fewer (PR Newswire's guidance), factual, active verb, present tense, subject first, one concrete fact: "Northbeam raises 8 million to ..." not "Northbeam announces exciting funding". No exclamation marks, no "announces" unless nothing else fits.
3. **Write the dateline and lead.** The dateline opens the first paragraph: CITY in caps, date, then a dash. The lead is 1 to 2 sentences, about 25 to 30 words, answering who, what, when, where, and why, so a reader who stops there has the story. Details go in paragraph 2.
4. **Add 1 to 2 supporting paragraphs.** Numbers, the customer problem, availability and price if a product. Every claim checkable; mark anything not in the input "[check: source]".
5. **Write one quote.** Quotes carry opinion and context; facts and numbers belong in the body. The quote gives a reason, a belief, or a stake a reporter can't paraphrase from the facts. Cut quotes that restate the headline ("We're thrilled to announce").
6. **Close with boilerplate and contact.** Boilerplate is the standard "About" paragraph, the same in every release: what the company does, for whom, where, and the website. Our default length: 2 to 3 sentences. Close the release with "###".
7. **Flag the risks.** List claims that need approval (superlatives, customer names, numbers, partner quotes) before it goes out.

## Output format

```markdown
**News check:** [News / Weak news / Not news] — [one-line reason]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE [or: EMBARGOED UNTIL date, time, timezone]

# [Headline, 100 characters or fewer]
## [Optional subhead: one supporting fact]

**[CITY], [Month Day, Year]** — [Lead: who, what, when, where, why, about 25 to 30 words.]

[Paragraph 2: how, where, numbers, availability.]

[Paragraph 3: context or customer evidence.]

"[Quote with a reason or stake]," said [Name], [title] at [Company].

**About [Company]**
[2–3 sentence boilerplate]

**Media contact**
[Name], [email], [phone]

###

**Needs approval before sending**
- [Claim, quote, or name] — [who approves]
```

## Example

**Input:** "We're Larkspur Labs, scheduling software for dental clinics. We just signed our 500th clinic and launched a no-show predictor. Write a press release. Founder is Dana Okafor. We're in Leeds."

**Output:**

```markdown
**News check:** Weak news — "500th clinic" is a milestone only you care about; the no-show predictor is the news. Lead with it.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

# Larkspur Labs predicts dental no-shows before they happen
## The scheduling tool used by 500 clinics now flags likely missed appointments in advance

**LEEDS, [Month Day, Year]** — Larkspur Labs today launched a no-show predictor that flags dental appointments likely to be missed, giving clinics 48 hours [check: lead time, not in input] to refill the slot. It is available now to all Larkspur customers [check: availability].

The predictor scores each booking using the patient's past attendance and booking lead time [check: inputs used]. Clinics see flagged appointments on their daily schedule and can send a reminder or offer the slot to a waitlist [check: what clinics can do with a flag]. Larkspur is used by 500 clinics across the UK [check: all UK].

[Paragraph 3: one clinic's result, e.g. no-show rate before and after — check: needs a customer and a number.]

"An empty chair costs a clinic the same whether the patient forgot or never meant to come," said Dana Okafor, founder of Larkspur Labs. "We'd rather clinics know the day before than find out at 9 a.m." [draft quote: needs approval from Dana Okafor]

**About Larkspur Labs**
Larkspur Labs makes scheduling software for dental clinics. Founded in [check: year] and based in Leeds, it is used by 500 clinics.

**Media contact**
[contact: to confirm]

###

**Needs approval before sending**
- "48 hours ahead", the inputs the model uses, availability, and what clinics can do with a flag — product lead
- The 500-clinic figure as of release date — Dana Okafor
- The quote — Dana Okafor
```

## Checks before you send

- [ ] The lead paragraph alone answers who, what, when, where, and why, in about 30 words.
- [ ] The headline is 100 characters or fewer, has one concrete fact, and no "exciting", "innovative", or "leading".
- [ ] Every number and superlative is in the input or marked "[check: ...]".
- [ ] The quote gives a reason or stake, not a restatement of the headline.
- [ ] Boilerplate, contact, and dateline are present or marked to confirm.
- [ ] The news check result is stated at the top.

## Common mistakes

- Burying the news in paragraph 3 behind company history.
- Writing "the leading platform" with no source. Reporters delete it, and it can be a false claim.
- Quoting 3 executives. One quote, two at most when a partner is involved.

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Changelog

Sources

  1. What are the Essential Components of a Press Release | PR Newswire UK (read 2026-11-04)
  2. Press Release Guide | Nebraska Extension Employee Resources (read 2026-11-04)