Stack the Facts: An Interview with Laurel Graeber of The New York Times

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PRW asked New York Times’ writer, Laurel Graeber, what format she preferred for press releases sent to her. She said, “I do prefer the inverted-pyramid style in press releases because I frequently am pressed for time in reading my mail. The sooner I know the purpose of a communication, the sooner I can decide whether it is applicable to my work. A press release that does not have important facts up front risks being thrown out after I read the first two paragraphs, regardless of the ultimate worthiness of its message.”

Take heed, all you press release writers out there; this is valid advice coming from a writer of one of the most influential newspapers on the planet.

Remember that the inverted pyramid is an isosceles triangle turned upside down. The facts at the top of the triangle should be the most important ones followed down by the next important ones, ultimately leading to the base of the pyramid.

This doesn’t mean that you should include irrelevant material at the bottom. But that is the place for perhaps repeating information for emphasis or for adding additional information to supplement important facts.

The last part of the release can also summarize and include an example or two. But the contact information (name, address, phone numbers, fax, email, Website) and key to the entire release should come at the top. A good way to assure that the vital information comes at the top is to include it in your title or heading.