How do I write a press release using AI?

AI writing tools allow a business to draft, refine, and adapt press releases in a fraction of the time it would take to write one manually.

In this guide you'll learn how AI tools such as Claude can support the press release writing process, the benefits and risks of using AI for PR, and how to get the best results from your prompts.

As with any communications output, it's a good idea to have a human review and approve anything AI-generated before it's distributed to journalists or published online.

What is an AI-written press release?

An AI-written press release is a news announcement drafted with the help of a large language model, such as Anthropic's Claude, rather than written entirely from scratch by a person.

The tool works by taking the key facts of your announcement - what's happening, who's involved, when, where, and why it matters - and turning them into a structured draft that follows standard press release conventions.

AI can be used at any stage of the process, from generating a first draft to polishing a near-final version, suggesting headlines, or adapting one release for different audiences.

It's worth noting that AI tools are an aid to the writing process, not a replacement for editorial judgement or a genuine news angle - releases still need to meet professional editorial standards before journalists will consider them.

What are the steps to writing a press release with AI?

There are a number of stages to producing a press release with an AI tool such as Claude:

Gather your key facts

Before opening any AI tool, collect the essential information for your announcement.

This should include the news itself, key dates, names and job titles of anyone quoted, relevant figures or statistics, and your company boilerplate.

The quality of an AI draft depends heavily on the quality of the information you provide - a vague brief tends to produce a vague release.

Write a detailed prompt

Rather than asking Claude to "write a press release", give it a structured brief.

A strong prompt could include the announcement details, your target publications, the tone you want, a word count, and any formatting requirements such as a headline, subheading, quote, and notes to editors.

For example, you might write: "Draft a 400-word press release announcing [company]'s launch of [product] on [date], aimed at UK trade press, in a factual and understated tone, including a quote from our managing director and a notes-to-editors section."

Review the first draft

Once Claude has produced a draft, read it carefully against your original facts.

Check every name, date, figure, and claim, as AI tools can occasionally introduce errors or invent plausible-sounding details - a phenomenon known as hallucination.

It's also worth checking that the most newsworthy element appears in the headline and first paragraph, not buried further down.

Refine through conversation

One advantage of a conversational tool like Claude is that you can iterate on the draft without starting again.

You might ask it to make the headline punchier, shorten the second paragraph, rewrite the quote so it sounds more natural, or produce three alternative angles on the same story.

Each round of feedback tends to move the draft closer to something you'd be happy to send.

Add the human elements

Quotes, in particular, benefit from human input.

A journalist can often spot a generic AI-generated quote, so it's a good idea to either supply a real quote from your spokesperson or heavily edit the AI's suggestion so it reflects how that person actually speaks.

Final checks before distribution

Before sending your release to journalists or a press release distribution platform, proofread it one final time, confirm all contact details are correct, and make sure someone senior has signed it off.

What are the benefits of using AI to write press releases?

There are a number of potential benefits to using AI in your press release workflow:

Speed

A first draft that might take an hour or more to write manually can be produced in seconds, freeing up time for the strategic work of finding angles and building journalist relationships.

Overcoming the blank page

Many business owners find starting a press release the hardest part.

An AI draft, even an imperfect one, gives you something concrete to react to and improve.

Consistency

AI tools are good at following structural conventions, meaning your releases are more likely to include the elements journalists expect, such as a clear headline, dateline, and boilerplate.

Adaptation and repurposing

Once you have an approved release, a tool like Claude can quickly adapt it into a social media post, a newsletter item, or a version tailored to a specific outlet - useful if you're targeting guaranteed media placements on particular titles.

Cost

For small businesses without a PR agency or in-house writer, AI tools could offer a lower-cost route to professional-standard drafts.

What are the risks of using AI to write press releases?

In addition to the benefits, there are a number of potential drawbacks to be aware of:

Factual errors

AI tools can generate incorrect information with complete confidence.

Every fact in an AI-drafted release should be verified by a person before distribution, as a factual error in a published release could damage your credibility with journalists.

Generic output

Without a detailed prompt, AI drafts can sound bland and interchangeable.

Journalists receive hundreds of releases a week, and a formulaic AI-sounding release may be less likely to stand out - a particular consideration for marketing teams sending announcements regularly.

Confidentiality

It's worth checking the data policies of any AI tool before pasting in sensitive or embargoed information.

Some tools offer settings or plans designed for business use with stronger data protections.

Over-reliance

If AI is left to generate both the story and the writing, the result is often a release with no real news value.

AI can polish your announcement, but it can't manufacture a genuine reason for journalists to care.

What is the difference between AI-assisted and fully automated press releases?

It's important to understand the distinction between using AI as a drafting assistant and fully automating your PR output.

AI-assisted writing means a person sets the brief, reviews the output, verifies the facts, and makes the final editorial decisions, with the AI handling the heavy lifting of drafting and rewriting.

Fully automated approaches, where releases are generated and distributed with little or no human review, carry a much higher risk of errors, generic copy, and reputational damage.

For most businesses, the AI-assisted approach offers the best balance of efficiency and quality control - the same principle applies to distribution, where transparent, human-checked workflows tend to produce more credible coverage than fully automated blasts.

How do I choose an AI tool for writing press releases?

There are a number of AI writing tools available, including general-purpose assistants such as Claude and ChatGPT, as well as specialist PR platforms with AI features built in.

It's a good idea to look into different tools, assessing the quality of their writing, how well they follow detailed instructions, their data and privacy policies, and their pricing.

Conversational tools tend to suit the iterative nature of press release writing well, since you can refine a draft through back-and-forth feedback rather than regenerating from scratch.

Don't be shy about testing the same brief across two or three tools and comparing the results.

The more specific and detailed your prompts, the better the output will be - so it's worth investing a little time in learning how to brief an AI tool effectively.

How can I learn more about writing press releases?

For more information on press release fundamentals, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) publishes guidance on best practice in media relations.

Anthropic also provides documentation on prompting Claude effectively, which can help you get better results from your briefs.

For guidance on formatting and editorial standards once your release is written, see the Digital24 Help and Support centre, or explore distribution options to get your finished release in front of journalists.

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