A press release is a news-style article that is distributed for publication. Press releases can be targeted for online electronic publications or offline print.

Publication of a press release is a three part process:

• Write article copy
• Distribute to journalists and editors
• If article is approved it is published

The key to writing a successful press release lies with the document's ability to grab the reader's attention with its headline and to explain everything the reader needs to know within the first paragraph. Press releases are a different type of company communication, typically used to announce general news, an event or a product release.