How to Write a Press Release That Gets Published in Singapore Media

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Why Press Releases Still Matter in 2026

Despite the rise of social media, direct pitching, and digital PR, the press release remains a foundational tool for earning media coverage. A well-crafted press release provides journalists with the structured, factual information they need to write a story — making their job easier and increasing your chances of coverage.

This press release writing guide addresses a persistent skills gap among Singapore businesses. Many companies invest in PR activities but fail to produce press releases that meet the standards journalists expect. The result: releases that are ignored, deleted, or — worse — actively damage relationships with media contacts.

The press release serves multiple purposes beyond media outreach. It creates a formal record of company announcements. It provides consistent messaging that all stakeholders can reference. It generates indexable online content when distributed through newswires. And when written well, it establishes the newsworthy framework that journalists can adapt into their own coverage.

In Singapore’s media landscape, where journalists at outlets like The Straits Times, The Business Times, CNA, and industry publications receive hundreds of releases daily, the quality of your press release determines whether it gets read or deleted. Understanding what makes a release effective in this competitive environment is essential for any brand investing in PR as part of their digital marketing strategy.

What Makes a Press Release Newsworthy

The single most important factor in press release success is newsworthiness. A beautifully written release about something journalists do not care about will not generate coverage. Conversely, a genuinely newsworthy announcement with mediocre writing will still attract attention.

Journalists evaluate newsworthiness through several criteria:

Timeliness: Is this happening now or about to happen? News is, by definition, new. Announcing something that happened weeks ago loses its news value. Tie your announcement to a current moment — a product launch date, a funding round close, a new market entry.

Impact: How many people does this affect? A new policy affecting all SMEs in Singapore is more newsworthy than an internal team restructure. Quantify impact whenever possible — “serving 50,000 customers,” “creating 200 new jobs,” “reducing costs by 30%.”

Relevance to Singapore: Local media prioritise stories with Singapore angles. A global product launch becomes more newsworthy when you emphasise the Singapore-specific implications — local pricing, availability, market data, or impact on local industries. Frame every release with a clear Singapore angle.

Conflict or contrast: Stories that challenge conventional wisdom, reveal surprising data, or present contrarian perspectives attract journalist interest. “Singapore businesses spending 40% more on influencer marketing than the regional average” is more interesting than “Singapore businesses invest in influencer marketing.”

Human interest: Stories with personal elements — founders overcoming challenges, employees achieving milestones, customers whose lives were changed — resonate emotionally and generate more compelling coverage.

Data and research: Original research, survey data, and industry analysis are consistently newsworthy. Journalists value data they cannot find elsewhere. If your company produces original research relevant to your industry, this is among your most powerful PR assets.

The Standard Press Release Structure

Press releases follow a standardised structure that journalists expect. Deviating from this structure does not show creativity — it shows unfamiliarity with media communications.

Header:

  • Company logo (optional in email distribution)
  • “FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE” or specific embargo date
  • Date and location (e.g., “Singapore, 6 April 2026”)

Headline: A clear, factual headline that communicates the core news. Maximum 10–15 words. No clever puns or marketing speak — journalists need to understand the story instantly.

Subheadline (optional): A secondary line providing additional context or a compelling detail that supports the headline. One sentence maximum.

Lead paragraph: The most important paragraph. Answers the five Ws — Who, What, When, Where, Why — in two to three sentences. A journalist who reads only this paragraph should understand the complete story.

Body paragraphs: Expanding details arranged in inverted pyramid order (most important information first, least important last). Include context, background, data, and supporting details. Three to five body paragraphs are typical.

Quotes: One to two quotes from company leadership or relevant stakeholders. Quotes should provide perspective, opinion, or vision — not repeat facts already stated in the body. Write quotes that sound like something a real person would say, not corporate jargon.

Boilerplate: A standard “About [Company]” paragraph describing your company in three to four sentences. Include founding date, headquarters, core business, and any notable achievements or metrics.

Contact information: Name, title, email, and phone number of the media contact. This person should be available and responsive if journalists follow up with questions.

Writing a Headline That Gets Opened

Your headline determines whether a journalist opens or deletes your press release. In an inbox with 200 unread emails, you have approximately two seconds to earn their attention.

Effective press release headlines share several characteristics. They are factual, not promotional. They communicate the core news clearly. They include specific details — numbers, names, dates — that signal substance. And they are concise — ideally under 100 characters for email subject line compatibility.

Strong headline examples:

  • “GreenTech Raises $15M Series B to Expand Solar Solutions Across Southeast Asia”
  • “Singapore SMEs Increased Digital Marketing Spend by 35% in 2025, New Survey Reveals”
  • “FoodPanda Partners with 500 Singapore Hawker Stalls for Heritage Food Delivery Programme”

Weak headline examples:

  • “Exciting New Product Launch!” — vague, promotional, no news value
  • “Company X Continues to Innovate” — generic, no specific information
  • “Revolutionary AI-Powered Solution Transforms the Future of Business” — hyperbolic, no substance

The email subject line is your headline’s first test. When pitching journalists by email, your subject line should match or closely reflect your press release headline. Some PR professionals add a brief prefix — “[Funding] GreenTech Raises $15M…” or “[Research] Singapore SMEs Increased…” — to help journalists categorise the story immediately.

Write your headline last. After completing the full press release, you will have the clearest understanding of the core news value. Distill it into the most factual, specific, and compelling headline possible.

Writing the Body: Inverted Pyramid Style

The inverted pyramid is the foundational structure of news writing. The most important information appears first, with each subsequent paragraph providing decreasing levels of detail. This structure serves journalists who may only read the first paragraph or who need to cut content from the bottom.

The lead paragraph (paragraph 1): Communicate the complete news in two to three sentences. Who is doing what, when, where, and why? The lead should stand alone as a complete summary. “Singapore-based fintech company PayRight has secured $20 million in Series B funding led by Sequoia Capital to expand its buy-now-pay-later platform across Southeast Asia, the company announced today.”

The context paragraph (paragraph 2): Provide the background that explains why this news matters. What problem does this solve? What market trend does it address? What gap does it fill? “The funding comes as Singapore’s BNPL market is projected to reach $3.5 billion by 2027, driven by growing consumer demand for flexible payment options and merchant adoption across e-commerce and retail.”

The detail paragraphs (paragraphs 3–5): Expand with specific details — product features, timeline, market data, partnership details, or strategic rationale. Each paragraph should contain one main point. Arrange paragraphs in descending order of importance.

Quotes (placed after the first or second body paragraph): Include one to two quotes that add human perspective. CEO quotes typically address vision and strategic rationale. Customer or partner quotes provide external validation. Write quotes that a journalist would want to use — concise, quotable, and adding dimension beyond the facts.

Write in clear, direct language. Avoid jargon, marketing superlatives, and corporate speak. “Groundbreaking,” “revolutionary,” “industry-leading,” and “world-class” have been so overused that journalists actively dismiss them. Let the facts communicate importance — numbers, milestones, and market data are more persuasive than adjectives.

Keep the total length to one page (approximately 400–600 words). Journalists appreciate conciseness. If your announcement requires more detail, include a fact sheet, data supplement, or link to additional resources as attachments rather than lengthening the release.

Distribution Strategy for Singapore Media

A well-written press release distributed to the wrong journalists or through the wrong channels generates zero coverage. Strategic distribution is as important as quality writing.

Build a targeted media list: Identify the specific journalists who cover your industry at relevant Singapore outlets. The Straits Times, The Business Times, CNA, TODAY, and Mothership cover general news. Industry-specific publications, blogs, and podcasts cover niche stories. Research individual journalists’ beats and recent coverage to ensure relevance.

Personalise your pitch: Do not blast-email your press release to 500 contacts. Write a brief, personalised pitch email to each target journalist explaining why the story is relevant to their beat and audience. Reference their recent work to demonstrate you have done your homework. Attach or paste the press release below the pitch.

Timing matters: Avoid Monday mornings (journalists are clearing weekend backlog), Friday afternoons (stories get buried over the weekend), and dates coinciding with major news events. Tuesday through Thursday mornings are generally optimal for press release distribution in Singapore. Distribute between 9 AM and 11 AM Singapore time.

Offer exclusives strategically: For significant announcements, offering an exclusive to one tier-one outlet can secure more prominent coverage than a broad distribution. Approach the most relevant journalist or outlet first with an exclusive offer, set a deadline for their decision, and distribute broadly only after the exclusive window closes.

Use newswire services selectively: Newswire services like PR Newswire and Business Wire distribute releases broadly and create indexed online records. They are useful for regulatory announcements, financial disclosures, and broad distribution needs. However, they should supplement — not replace — direct journalist outreach. Most impactful coverage comes from personalised pitches, not wire distribution.

Follow up appropriately: One follow-up email or call three to five days after distribution is acceptable. More than one follow-up crosses into pestering. If a journalist does not respond after a follow-up, the story either was not relevant to them or they are too busy. Move on and try a different angle or outlet.

Common Mistakes That Kill Your Press Release

Certain mistakes consistently prevent press releases from achieving coverage. Avoiding these common errors immediately improves your success rate.

No news value: The most common mistake. If your announcement is not genuinely newsworthy to audiences beyond your company, a press release is not the right tool. Company anniversaries, minor product updates, and internal promotions rarely warrant press releases. Save press releases for announcements with genuine news value.

Marketing language instead of news language: Press releases written in advertising copy style — superlatives, promotional claims, first-person enthusiasm — are immediately deleted by journalists. Write in objective, third-person, factual language. Report the news; do not sell the product.

Burying the lead: Starting with company background, industry context, or executive philosophy before stating the actual news frustrates journalists. The news — the specific, concrete announcement — must appear in the first paragraph.

No Singapore angle: Distributing a global press release to Singapore media without localising it demonstrates laziness. Add Singapore-specific data, local market implications, local spokesperson quotes, and Singapore availability details. Make it clear why the story matters to a Singapore audience.

Poor formatting: Walls of text, inconsistent fonts, embedded images that break email formatting, and excessively long releases signal amateur communications. Follow standard press release formatting and keep the design clean and professional.

Missing contact information: If a journalist wants to follow up and cannot find a responsive contact, the story dies. Include a media contact who answers emails within hours and phone calls immediately. Slow response to journalist enquiries kills coverage opportunities permanently.

Sending to irrelevant journalists: Sending a fintech announcement to a food journalist, or a consumer product release to a B2B technology reporter, wastes their time and damages your credibility. Targeted, relevant distribution to the right journalists is fundamental to effective public relations.

Invest time in getting these basics right. A press release that avoids these common mistakes and follows standard structure will outperform the vast majority of releases that Singapore journalists receive — simply because most companies get the fundamentals wrong.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should a press release be?

One page, approximately 400–600 words. Journalists prefer concise, factual releases. If additional detail is needed, include supplementary materials (fact sheets, data, images) as attachments or links rather than lengthening the release.

How many quotes should a press release include?

One to two quotes are standard. Include a senior spokesperson quote (CEO, founder, or relevant executive) and optionally a customer, partner, or external stakeholder quote. Quotes should add perspective beyond the facts, not repeat information already in the body.

When should I send a press release?

Tuesday through Thursday mornings between 9 AM and 11 AM Singapore time. Avoid Monday mornings, Friday afternoons, and dates with competing major news events. For embargoed releases, send two to three days before the lift date to give journalists preparation time.

Should I use a newswire service or email directly?

Both, but prioritise direct email to targeted journalists. Personalised pitches generate more coverage than wire distribution. Use newswire services for broad distribution, online indexing, and regulatory announcements. The most impactful coverage comes from journalist relationships, not mass distribution.

How do I know if my announcement is newsworthy?

Ask: would a journalist’s audience care about this? News involves something new, impactful, surprising, or relevant to a wide audience. Funding rounds, product launches with market impact, original research, significant partnerships, and industry milestones are typically newsworthy. Internal changes and minor updates usually are not.

Can press releases help with SEO?

Yes. Press releases distributed through newswires create indexed online content. More importantly, media coverage generated by press releases earns high-authority backlinks from news websites. These backlinks are valuable for SEO performance. Include relevant keywords naturally in your release for additional search benefit.

How do I write a press release for a product launch?

Lead with what the product does and why it matters. Include specific details — pricing, availability, features — in the body. Add a CEO or product leader quote on the product vision. Include high-resolution product images and a link to more information. Distribute to journalists covering your product category with a personalised pitch explaining the market gap your product fills.

What should I do if no journalists respond to my press release?

Reassess the newsworthiness of your announcement, the relevance of your media list, and the quality of your pitch. Follow up once with journalists you believe are the best fit. If there is still no response, the story may not be newsworthy enough for a press release — consider alternative approaches like a content marketing article, social media announcement, or direct outreach with a different angle.