Press Release:

• primary audience: media personnel
• secondary audiences: stockholders, potential investors, clients & customers, competitors, staff & employees, lawyers (external), us (students)
• main job: inform the press, get the press to publish your side (but not being unethical)
• speaks in 3rd person
  
• structure & format:
• 5W & H included
  
• FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE or Hold indicator right at the beginning
• headline
• date and location
• first two sentences communicate the main point (front loaded)
• body
  
• contact information (commonly near the end)
• company background information (boilerplate, not always included)
  
• ENDS or ### at the very end