A strong opening earns attention, but the body must answer the questions it raises. Readers need enough context to understand the announcement without contacting the company for basic facts. The body works best when it moves from the core change to the evidence and implications, then closes with practical details and a contact. Promotion should never replace verifiable information.
A useful order for the middle paragraphs
Context
Explain the problem, need, or prior state in a few sentences. Attribute statistics and avoid suggesting the announcement solves more than it does.
What changed
Describe the product, partnership, event, appointment, or policy with scope, location, and timing. Include eligibility or limitations when relevant.
Evidence
Add a document, demonstration, method, or independently checkable figure. State the source and period for numbers.
Meaningful quote
Use a named person to explain significance or a decision, not to repeat the headline with adjectives. Obtain approval and preserve the speaker's meaning.
Next step
Provide a working information link, media contact, and a reasonable action for the reader. Keep promotional links proportional to the story.
Write for scanning and verification
Give each paragraph one job. Put definitions near the first use of a technical term. If a claim depends on an estimate, say how it was produced and what it does not prove. A brief subheading can help with a long release, but a chain of slogans makes the facts harder to find.
Before publication, use a fact sheet to verify spelling, job titles, locations, dates, figures, links, and quotes. Check whether an image caption reflects what the image actually shows and whether the person pictured consented to its use. PRSA asks practitioners to investigate the accuracy of information they release and to correct errors promptly.
The final editorial test
Ask whether a reader who knows nothing about the organization can answer what happened, why it matters, what is confirmed, and whom to contact. Remove claims that require proof you cannot supply. Keep the boilerplate short and current; it is background, not a substitute for the news. The AP's news values offer a useful reminder that relevance, accuracy, privacy, and honesty matter more than excitement in a headline.