Press Release Format — Structure and Standards in Canada

The format of a press release is not a suggestion -- it is a professional standard recognized by newsrooms around the world. A press release that does not follow this format will be perceived as amateurish, unreliable, or promotional, and will be ignored by journalists before its content is even read.

This guide details each of the 9 sections of a professional press release in the exact order expected by Quebec and Canadian media, along with layout standards, typographic conventions, and formatting mistakes that trigger immediate rejection.

If you are just getting started, first read our complete guide to writing press releases for content advice. This guide focuses exclusively on structure and presentation.

Why the format of a press release matters

Journalists process a considerable volume of press releases every day. The standard format allows them to instantly locate key information -- the headline, the lead, the quote, the contact details -- without having to scan the entire document. It is a shared language between communicators and the media.

A poorly formatted press release signals to the journalist that the sender is unfamiliar with media conventions. If you have not mastered the format, the journalist will doubt your command of the content. It may be unfair, but it is reality: form shapes the perception of substance.

The standard format also exists for practical reasons. Newsroom content management systems, newswires, and media databases are designed to process press releases structured according to this standard. A non-standard format may be improperly displayed, poorly indexed, or simply rejected by automated filters.

Complete press release structure in 9 sections

Here are the 9 sections of a professional press release, from top to bottom, in the exact order in which they should appear. Each section is described in detail in the subsections that follow.

Section 1 -- The document identifier

At the very top of the document, before the headline, include one of the following labels in uppercase:

PRESS RELEASE -- the standard identifier.

Immediately followed by one of these labels:

• FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- the journalist may publish as soon as the press release is received. This is the most common label and the one you will use in 95% of cases.
• EMBARGOED UNTIL [date, time, time zone] -- the journalist must not publish before the specified date and time. Embargoes are useful for major announcements where you want to give journalists time to prepare their story before the official moment of the announcement. Important note: an embargo is a trust agreement, not a legal obligation. If you absolutely do not want the information released before a certain date, do not send it before that date.

Section 2 -- Logo and organization identification

Place the issuing organization's logo at the top of the press release, either centred or left-aligned. The logo should be high-resolution and small enough not to dominate the page -- it serves to identify, not to decorate.

If you are sending the press release in the body of an email (which is recommended), the logo can be omitted or placed in the signature. In that case, the organization's name in the headline or dateline is sufficient for identification.

If you are sending the press release as a formal PDF or Word document, the logo is expected at the top of the document.

Section 3 -- The headline

The headline is the most important element of your press release. It is the first thing -- and often the only thing -- a journalist will read before deciding whether to continue.

Headline formatting standards

• The headline is written in bold
• It is between 8 and 15 words
• It is written in the present or past tense, never in the future tense
• It does not end with a period
• It does not contain an exclamation mark
• It uses standard capitalization (capital letter on the first word and proper nouns), not ALL CAPS
• It summarizes the main news in a single factual sentence

The difference is clear. The first is factual, restrained, and professional. The second shouts, sells, and exaggerates. The journalist will trust the first and ignore the second. For a deeper look at headline writing, see our dedicated guide on compelling press release headlines.

Section 4 -- The subheadline

The subheadline is optional but recommended. It complements the headline by adding a piece of information the headline could not contain.

Subheadline formatting standards

• The subheadline is written in italics (standard convention in Canada)
• It is a single sentence
• It provides the when, who, how much, or how -- whichever supplementary detail is most relevant
• It does not repeat the headline in different words

The good subheadline adds facts ($8.5M, September 2026, 35 jobs). The bad subheadline adds empty promotional language.

Section 5 -- The dateline and first paragraph (lead)

The dateline is the very first piece of information in the body text. It anchors the press release in a specific place and time.

Standard Canadian dateline format (French)

VILLE, le [jour] [mois] [année] --

• MONTRÉAL, le 14 mars 2026 --
• QUÉBEC, le 2 avril 2026 --
• SAINT-HYACINTHE, le 18 mai 2026 --

The city is in UPPERCASE. The date is preceded by "le." An em dash (--) or two hyphens (--) separate the dateline from the text. The city used is the one where the organization is headquartered or where the announced event takes place.

Standard Canadian dateline format (English)

CITY, Month Day, Year --

• MONTREAL, March 14, 2026 --
• TORONTO, April 2, 2026 --

If your press release will be distributed in both French and English, adapt the dateline format for each version. Do not simply translate the text while keeping the English format in the French version.

The first paragraph (lead)

The first paragraph (lead) follows the dateline immediately on the same line. It must answer the 5Ws of journalism in 2 to 3 sentences maximum:

1. Who is making the announcement?
2. What is being announced exactly?
3. When is it happening?
4. Where is it taking place?
5. Why is it important?

A busy journalist will often read only this paragraph. If it contains all the essential information, your press release has fulfilled its mission. To learn more about writing the lead, see our complete writing guide.

Section 6 -- The body text

The body of the press release expands on the information announced in the lead. It must follow the inverted pyramid structure: the most important information at the top, supplementary details at the bottom. This structure allows the journalist to cut the text from the bottom without losing the essentials.

Body text formatting standards

• The text is written in short paragraphs of 2 to 4 sentences each
• Paragraphs are separated by a line break (no indentation)
• The style is journalistic: short sentences, active voice, concrete facts
• The total press release text (including the lead) is between 400 and 600 words

Quotes -- format and placement

Include one or two spokesperson quotes in the body text. In Canadian French press releases, quotes are enclosed in French quotation marks («  »), while in Canadian English press releases, standard quotation marks (" ") are used.

The standard attribution format in Canadian English is:

"Direct quote from the spokesperson," said [First Name Last Name], [Title], [Organization].

Accepted attribution verbs: said, stated, noted, explained, added (for a second quote). Avoid: confided (too intimate for an institutional context), exclaimed (never appropriate), mentioned (too weak).

Place the first quote after the second or third paragraph -- early enough to add a human dimension, but after the main facts have been established.

Numbers -- format

• Spell out numbers one through nine (one, two, three...)
• Use numerals for numbers 10 and above (10, 15, 200...)
• Monetary amounts are always in numerals ($5M, $45M, $1.2 billion)
• Percentages are in numerals followed by the % symbol (15%, 3.5%)
• Dates are in numerals (March 14, 2026)
• Times use the a.m./p.m. format (10:00 a.m., 2:30 p.m.)

Section 7 -- The boilerplate (About)

The boilerplate is a standardized paragraph that describes the issuing organization. It appears at the end of every press release, preceded by the header "About [organization name]" in bold.

Boilerplate formatting standards

• It is 2 to 4 sentences long, never more
• It is identical or nearly identical from one press release to the next
• It contains the official full name of the organization, a factual description of its mission or activities, a positioning figure if relevant (number of employees, members, revenue, ranking), and the website address

The good boilerplate is restrained and factual. The bad one is promotional and hollow. The boilerplate is not an advertising space -- it is an identity card.

Section 8 -- Media contact information

The contact information is the last content section of the press release, placed after the boilerplate and preceded by the header "Media Contact:" or "Information:" or "Source:" in bold.

Required information

• The full name and title of the media contact
• The organization name
• A cell phone number (not the switchboard -- journalists work outside business hours and need to reach someone quickly)
• A direct email address (not a generic info@ address)

The difference: the good format provides a name, a cell number, and a direct email. The journalist knows exactly who to call and can reach them at any time. The bad format provides a general phone number with an extension and a generic address -- three barriers between the journalist and the information. If your press release involves multiple organizations (partnership, joint announcement), list the contact information for each organization separately.

Section 9 -- The end mark -30-

The end mark is the conventional signal that tells the journalist the press release is complete and there are no additional pages.

Standard format in Canada: -30-
Centred, on a line by itself, after the contact information. This convention dates back to the era of teletypewriters and remains universally used in North American newsrooms.

Accepted variations

• In North America: -30- (Canadian and American standard)
• In Europe and internationally: ### or END
• For English-language press releases in Canada: -30- or ### (both are accepted)

Do not omit this mark. Its absence may lead the journalist to believe the document is incomplete or that a page is missing.

Annotated visual template

Here is the complete structure in order, summarized in a visual template:

Layout and typography standards

Beyond structure, the physical layout of the press release follows specific standards. These standards apply to press releases sent as documents (Word or PDF) and, in a simplified version, to press releases sent in the body of an email.

• Font: Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman, size 11 or 12 points. Never a decorative font, never Comic Sans, never a script font. A press release is not a promotional flyer.
• Line spacing: 1.5 for printed documents or PDFs. Single spacing for email sends.
• Margins: Standard (2.5 cm or 1 inch on each side).
• Alignment: Left-justified (left alignment). Never centred, never full justification (which creates irregular spacing between words).
• Colours: Text is black on a white background. No coloured text in the body of the press release. The logo may be in colour. Hyperlinks are in standard blue.
• Length: One page ideally, two pages maximum. If your press release exceeds two pages, it is too long. Cut it down or prepare a supplementary press kit.
• Bold and italics: The headline is in bold. The subheadline is in italics. Headers (About, Media Contact) are in bold. Spokesperson names upon first mention may be in bold. Everything else is in regular text. Do not overuse bold -- if everything is bold, nothing stands out.
• Quotation marks: Use French quotation marks «  » for French-language press releases in Canada. Use English quotation marks " " for English-language press releases. Never mix the two in the same press release.

Differences between the Canadian, American, and European formats

If your press release will be distributed internationally, knowing the format differences between markets is essential.

These differences may seem minor, but they signal to the journalist that you know their market. A press release intended for Quebec media that uses the American dateline format loses local credibility.

Formatting mistakes that get a press release rejected

Our team processes hundreds of press releases every year. Here are the formatting mistakes we see most often and that directly harm the chances of media coverage.

Sending the press release only as an attachment

If the email body is empty or contains only "Please find our press release attached," many journalists will never open it. The main content must always be in the body of the email, with the PDF as an optional attachment.

Writing the headline in ALL CAPS

WRITING IN ALL CAPS IS THE EQUIVALENT OF SHOUTING. It is aggressive, difficult to read, and immediately associated with spam or advertising.

Missing dateline

Without a dateline, the press release seems to float outside of time and space. The journalist does not know whether the news is from today or last week, nor where it originates.

Creative layout

Coloured backgrounds, multiple columns, graphic frames, decorative fonts -- anything that looks more like a promotional brochure than a press release. Journalists want information, not design.

A press release of 3 pages or more

If your press release exceeds 600 words or two pages, it is too long. No journalist will read three pages of a press release. Identify the main news, write it in 400-600 words, and put the rest in a press kit.

Incomplete or missing contact information

No media contact name, a general phone number with an extension, an info@ email address. These are barriers between the journalist and their ability to reach you quickly to follow up on your news.

Missing -30- mark

Its absence leads the journalist to believe the document is incomplete. It is a detail, but details matter in an industry where rigour is valued. For a complete analysis of content errors (as opposed to formatting errors), see our press release writing guide and our annotated examples of successful press releases.