Short answer: Yes — Claude writes press releases that follow the standard UK format: compelling headline, dateline, strong lede paragraph, supporting quote, boilerplate, and media contact. Where it needs you: the actual news angle and verified facts. The structure is easy; the news judgement is yours.
Short version: Claude writes press releases well because the format is formulaic — headline, lede, body, quote, boilerplate, contact. It handles all the standard UK conventions and produces output that reads like real PR, not AI output. The hard part isn’t the writing; it’s having news worth announcing. Claude can’t fix that, but it can turn a weak-looking announcement into a professional one.
This guide covers four press release types, the format Claude follows, and what you still need to do yourself.
The standard UK press release format Claude follows
- Headline — punchy, under 10 words, carries the news
- Dateline — "London, UK — 9 October 2026" or similar
- Lede paragraph — who, what, when, where, why in 2-3 sentences
- Body — 2-3 paragraphs with the detail, supporting data, context
- Quote — one or two quotes from leadership (plus optional customer/partner)
- Boilerplate — standardised paragraph about the company
- Media contact — name, email, phone
- -ENDS- — signals the end
Four common press release types
1. Product or service launch
Prompt: "Write a UK press release for the launch of [product/service name] by [company]. What it does: [description]. Who it's for: [target market]. Launch date: [date]. Why it matters: [key differentiator or market gap]. Pricing: [or 'available on request']. Launch customer or beta tester quote if you have one: [paste or say 'skip']. CEO quote: [paste or let me draft one for you]. Media contact: [name, email, phone]. Follow standard UK press release format. British English."
2. Funding round announcement
Prompt: "Press release announcing [company] has raised £[amount] in [seed/Series A/etc.] funding. Lead investor: [name]. Other participants: [list]. Use of funds: [key areas]. Founder quote: [or let me draft]. Investor quote: [paste if you have one]. Standard UK format, confident tone, not boastful."
3. Senior appointment
Prompt: "Press release announcing [name] has joined [company] as [role]. Their background: [paste short bio]. Why they're joining now (what the company is doing): [context]. What they'll be responsible for: [list]. Their quote on joining: [draft or paste]. CEO/Chair welcome quote: [draft]. Standard UK format."
4. Award win or recognition
Prompt: "Press release announcing [company] has won/been shortlisted for [award] at [event]. Award category: [name]. Why it's notable: [context]. Who else was in the running (if a positive comparison): [names]. Reaction quote from CEO/MD: [draft]. Standard UK format, confident but not overblown."
What Claude does automatically that saves time
- Writes a decent headline — often the hardest part. Claude usually drafts 3-5 options to pick from.
- Nails the inverted pyramid structure — most important info first, detail flows down, so a journalist can cut from the bottom.
- Writes natural-sounding quotes — the kind of quote a human would actually say, not corporate-robot speak.
- Produces a boilerplate — the standard "About [Company]" paragraph. Save it, reuse it on every release.
- UK conventions — British English, GBP, Companies House references, UK date format.
What Claude can’t do
- Make non-news into news. If your announcement is "we've released a slightly updated version", no press release will get coverage. Claude can wrap it well, but the news angle has to be real.
- Verify facts. Numbers, dates, name spellings, titles — Claude writes what you tell it. Mistakes stay in unless you catch them.
- Distribute the release. Writing is half the job. Pitching to the right journalists is the other half. Claude can draft the pitch email but can't send it.
- Build relationships with journalists. A warm introduction to a trade press editor beats a cold-sent press release every time.
Distribution: the bit most Claude users forget
A press release that sits in a Google Doc gets zero coverage. Three cheap-and-sensible UK distribution channels:
- Trade press direct — find 5-10 journalists at trade publications covering your sector, send the release personally with a 2-sentence pitch (Claude can draft this for you)
- Your LinkedIn — post the release as a company update + a founder commentary post. Free, immediate, often outperforms traditional PR for B2B.
- Specialist wires — Response Source (for UK PR), PR Newswire if budget allows. Not usually worth it for smaller businesses.
Related
- Can Claude write LinkedIn posts? — the natural pair for distribution
- Can Claude write reports? — same formal-writing muscle
- Claudable training for UK marketing agencies