What editors check before a release is published. The writing checklist applies the same rules as you write.
Content
Announce real news — a launch, milestone, partnership, research or appointment — not an advertisement.
Write in the third person with a professional tone; address readers as “you” only inside quotes.
Write 400–800 words. Releases under 300 words are rejected and the maximum is 1200.
Check spelling and grammar, and make sure every claim is accurate and can be verified.
Explain industry terms and acronyms for a general audience.
Structure
Headline: a complete sentence of at least 8 words that states the news, without “I”, “we” or “you” and without hype.
Summary: up to 45 words and 250 characters, with your company name and no links.
First paragraph: who, what, when, where and why — ideally starting with a dateline such as “SYDNEY, Australia – October 7, 2026 –”.
Include a quote from a named spokesperson.
End with a short “About” paragraph describing your company.
Give a real media contact: name, company, email, city, country and website (a social profile works if you have no website), and a phone in international format.
Style and format
Avoid superlatives and promotional language (“best”, “revolutionary”, “click here”), all capitals and exclamation marks.
Link to your website or sources — up to 5 links in the body; 3 or fewer is safest.
Use short paragraphs and bold lines as subheadings; heading tags are not accepted.
USA Today standard (Premium Media)
400–500 words in U.S. English and AP style, with short paragraphs of 2–4 sentences.
No advertorial or promotional tone: no product-centric messaging, testimonial-style anecdotes or aggressive calls to action.
Summary of up to 150 characters, in sentence case, without a final period.
Start with a dateline such as “MIAMI, Florida – May 16, 2026 –” and answer who, what, when, where and why in 1–2 sentences.
Descriptive link text (not a raw web address), 3–5 links, and alt text on every image.
No TV station logos or network names such as ABC, NBC, CBS or FOX.
Also not accepted: religion, politics, celebrity impersonation, medical or COVID claims, crypto, NFTs, play-to-earn and metaverse real estate, MLMs, profanity or slang.
Package-specific rules
Premium Media includes USA Today, which applies its own stricter standard — see “USA Today standard”.
Global Impact outlets require written permission for any mention of another brand, company or public figure.
Podcast Reach shows only the featured image; images inside the text do not appear.
DoFollow Links: use your brand name, the URL or a plain description as link text, never a commercial keyword such as “cheap flights”.
Topics most packages cannot publish
Adult content, gambling and dating; drugs, cannabis, tobacco and alcohol; weapons, explosives and illegal activities; unverified crypto, blockchain, NFT and DeFi; politics, payday loans and bail bonds; affiliate marketing and get-rich-quick schemes; malware links and phone unlocking.
Unproven medical claims, statements that harm the reputation of people, groups or companies (including competitors), hate speech or violence, and allegations or legal threats without supporting documents.
Podcast Reach and DoFollow Links may accept some sensitive topics, such as crypto; the editors decide. Unproven claims, harmful statements and illegal activity are never accepted.
Outlets make their own editorial decisions. Following these guidelines reduces the chance of a rejection but cannot guarantee publication.
