To submit a corporate press release, a regional press release or a press release about an EIT Food-funded project please read 'What is the process for submitting an EIT Food press release?'. 

  

To find out how to write a good press release, please read the article below. 

 
 

TABLE OF CONTENTS


Do I need a press release?  

The first question to ask yourself is: “Do I need to write a press release to tell my story?”   

 

Press releases are pieces of communication written specifically for journalists. Not all announcements, updates or stories require this – there may be other more appropriate and more effective outlets for your content. See 'How do I promote my EIT Food project?' for tips and advice about other ways you might consider for sharing your content.  

 

When should I issue a press release? 

Press releases should be used to announce newsworthy developments to an external audience. For EIT Food, this typically occurs when we launch something – for instance a new product or key piece of research – or when a project reaches a significant milestone that the wider community will find valuable to hear about.  

 

Reasons to write a press release include:      

  • Breaking news often connected with relevant external trends
  • Ground-breaking, new and innovative product launches 
  • Headline events of strategic organisational importance e.g. UN Food Systems Summit or the EIT Food Venture Summit  
  • Influential partnership announcements 
  • Sharing new and insightful research, completed with a credible research partner and a strong sample size    

 

When could another format be more effective, instead of a press release?  

  • Most project, partnership and event announcements that consist of our usual business activity  
  • Sharing interim updates to a project  
  • Communicating expert commentary or analysis  
  • Business developments, awards or changes that are of interest only to internal audiences  
  • Communicating research or insights that are project-focused, or with small sample sizes  
  • New appointments or team changes at a mid-management level or below  
  • Where any announcement may be controversial or touch upon themes that need to be handled sensitively 

 

You should not issue a press release if:  

  • The announcement would risk reputational harm to your organisation or its partners  
  • Any information included within it contains confidential or sensitive information about your organisation or its partners that has not been signed off by a relevant senior stakeholder and the relevant partner(s) 

In some circumstances, a press release may also be required as part of crisis management protocol, a process designed to prevent or lessen damage to the reputation of EIT Food and our activities in the case of a crisis. If you think a press release is required for these reasons, please contact the core communications team at [email protected] and mark your email urgent.    

  

How do I write an effective press release?   

Journalists receive hundreds of press releases each day, and so to attract and retain their attention, your release needs to communicate the story in an engaging, clear, factual and succinct way. 

 

Here is an example press release, and you can follow the format included below. As you will see from the example, your press release should feature the following elements:  

  • A title that encapsulates the story you want to tell in no more than 15-20 words 
  • Opening paragraph should include the 5 W’s - who, what, where, when and why 
  • Following paragraphs explain the context and the story in more detail. These should be short and informative  
  • Relevant quote(s) from a spokesperson or partner organisations
  • Any relevant links or additional information
  • Contact details for any media requests for additional information 
  • A ‘boilerplate’ section that gives important summary information on the involved organisation(s) 
  • An optional Notes to Editors section for additional background information or references not required in the main release e.g. methodology of a research study 

It is important to ensure that your press release only contains factual content and credible insights. Any opinions or subjective statements should only be included in the supporting quote  

 

Should I use statistics and references in a press release?  

Any conclusions drawn or statements made in press releases need to be backed up by evidence or data. Wherever possible, any data points included should be from an owned source (such as EIT Food research).   

 

If your press release is launching new research, it is not necessary to include a reference for every statistic. Instead, include details of the study, such as a link to the publication (if applicable), the date, research partner, methodology, sample size and any other important information in the Notes to Editor section.   

 

For any other standalone references, use asterisks in the main text, and include the reference in the Notes to Editor section. Include website links where possible.  


It may sometimes be necessary to include data points from external organisations. You should only link to other credible sources such as government websites and first-hand data sources.     

 

Examples of reputable external sources to reference include:   

Should I share photos with a press release? 

Journalists are always in need of supporting images for a story, so where possible, a relevant, high-resolution image should be included with your press release. Profile pictures of any quoted spokespeople should also be provided.  Make sure that you include the correct permissions and ownership rights for all the pictures that you provide.  

 

Visual assets containing people should reflect the full diversity of society, including ethnicity, gender, sexuality, body type and physical abilities. To find out more about selecting the best images for EIT Food, see 'What images best represent the EIT Food brand?'.    

 

Often, the best way to convey a complex idea to the media is to create an infographic to explain it. When drafting your press release, consider if there are any supporting infographics to bring any relevant data to life.     


What is a boilerplate and should I include one?  

A boilerplate is a standard description about an organisation that gives relevant information and links. The benefit works both ways. Including this at the bottom of a press release means the media can easily understand the source of the news and are more likely to accurately represent the organisation in their articles. Please include the official EIT Food boilerplate and include the EIT Food and EU logos. 

 


This article was last reviewed in January 2024 and will be reviewed again in January 2025. 

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