Resources.The rules we built the product on, free to use.

The questions to answer before writing, the house style our AI writes to, how to tell coverage apart, and how to pitch without burning a relationship. Use them with or without Codira PR.

Before you write.The questions every announcement should answer.

Each kind of announcement has its own questions, from whether a partner has approved being named to how a study was run. Answer them first and the release almost writes itself.

Every figure should be something you can back up.

Before you write · Product launch10 questions
  1. 1What are you announcing?Required
  2. 2Product nameRequired
  3. 3Availability and pricing
  4. 4What's genuinely different about it?
  5. 5Why does it matter, and why now?
  6. 6Who is it for?
  7. 7When and where does it take effect?
  8. 8Key facts and figures (each one should be something you can back up)
  9. 9Who can be quoted? (name and title)
  10. 10Links for more information

Anything you answer is kept as your own claim until a source backs it up.

The house style.What our AI writes to, and you can too.

Audience

  • Journalists and editors read this first. They are busy and skeptical, and they decide in seconds whether a release is news. Write so a reporter could lift the facts straight into a story.

Structure

  • Inverted pyramid. The first paragraph says who, what, when, where and why in one or two plain sentences. Each later paragraph adds detail in order of importance.
  • Dateline at the start of the first paragraph: CITY, State abbreviation or Country (Month Day, Year) —. Use the city from the company profile or brief; never invent one.
  • Headline: a specific factual statement in sentence case, under 100 characters, present tense, no exclamation marks, no puns, no questions.
  • Subheadline: one sentence adding the second most important fact.
  • Body: four to seven paragraphs of two to four sentences each. Use subheadings only in long releases, as plain statements.
  • Quotes: at most two, each attributed with full name and title on first use. A quote should add opinion, context or emotion, never repeat facts already stated. Any quote you write is a draft for the named person to approve; never present it as something they said.
  • End with the “About” boilerplate and media contact supplied by the company. Don't write your own.

Voice

  • Plain, confident and neutral. Third person (“Northwind Labs said”), never “we” outside quotes.
  • Concrete over abstract: numbers, places, dates, names, prices and availability.
  • No hype, superlatives or marketing adjectives. If something is first, largest or fastest, the brief or a source must say so; otherwise leave it out.
  • No exclamation marks, rhetorical questions or emoji.

Mechanics (AP style)

  • Numbers one through nine as words, 10 and up as numerals; percentages as numerals with “percent”.
  • Dates as “Oct. 12, 2026”; months spelled out when used alone; days of the week only within seven days of the release.
  • Titles capitalized before a name, lowercase after it.
  • Company names exactly as the company writes them; don't use ™ or ® after the first mention.
  • American spelling, no serial comma (AP), one space after periods.

Accuracy

  • Every fact comes from the brief, the company profile or an attached source. Never invent figures, customers, partners, awards, dates or quotes.
  • When a needed fact is missing, write [fact needed: what's missing] and keep going.

Phrases we never use

  • game-changer
  • game changer
  • game-changing
  • groundbreaking
  • revolutionary
  • revolutionize
  • disruptive
  • cutting-edge
  • cutting edge
  • best-in-class
  • best of breed
  • world-class
  • industry-leading
  • market-leading
  • leading provider
  • leader in
  • next-generation
  • next generation
  • state-of-the-art
  • state of the art
  • innovative solution
  • unique solution
  • turnkey
  • seamless
  • seamlessly
  • robust
  • synergy
  • synergies
  • paradigm shift
  • move the needle
  • unlock
  • unleash
  • empower
  • empowers
  • supercharge
  • elevate
  • transformative
  • unparalleled
  • unprecedented
  • unrivaled
  • unmatched
  • second to none
  • one-stop shop
  • delve
  • tapestry
  • landscape
  • ever-evolving
  • ever-changing
  • fast-paced world
  • in today's world
  • in today's digital age
  • at the end of the day
  • it goes without saying
  • needless to say
  • excited to announce
  • thrilled to announce
  • proud to announce
  • pleased to announce
  • we are delighted
  • very unique
  • truly
  • literally
  • world's first
  • the first-ever
  • mission-critical
  • holistic
  • streamline
  • leverage

Check a paragraph.Against the same rules.

Paste a paragraph from a release and see what the house style would flag: hype phrases, exclamation marks, questions outside quotes and facts still missing.

It runs in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.

House style checkRuns in your browser
  • Phrases the house style avoids: “groundbreaking”, “revolutionize”, “thrilled to announce”, “unlock”, “world-class”
  • Contains an exclamation mark
  • Contains a question outside a quote

Advisory only, like in the product. It never blocks anything.

Is it coverage?Six kinds of mention, in the order to check them.

  1. 01Owned

    Published on a site you control, like your own newsroom.

  2. 02Newswire distribution

    On a press release distribution service. Paid placement, not a story.

  3. 03Social

    A post on a social platform.

  4. 04Syndicated

    Repeats the headline or text of your release, or a newswire headline with a link to the newswire copy.

  5. 05Editorial

    Names you in its own headline and isn't a copy of your release.

  6. 06Possible match

    Mentions you only in the text, or not visibly at all. It may be passing or unrelated, so check it before you count it.

Only editorial coverage is a journalist choosing your story. Report the others, but don’t call them coverage.

Responsible outreach.Seven rules that keep journalists answering.

  1. 01Pitch people whose work fitsPoint to something they really wrote. If you can't, they probably aren't the right person.
  2. 02Keep lists smallFifty people per campaign at most. If the list is longer, the story isn't targeted yet.
  3. 03Write each pitch for its readerPitches that are all the same text read as spam, to people and to filters.
  4. 04Say who you are and whereYour name, your organization and a postal address in every email.
  5. 05Make it easy to say noOne-click unsubscribe, honored at once and never emailed again.
  6. 06Follow up onceOne follow-up per pitch, after at least three days. Then let it go.
  7. 07Don't watch their inboxSkip open and click tracking. A reply is the signal that matters.

Want these rules applied for you?That's what Codira PR does.

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