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How to Write a Press Release with Mistral

Writing an effective press release is a demanding exercise that requires mastering journalistic codes, structuring information according to the inverted pyramid, and finding the right tone between promotion and objectivity. Mistral, the leading French AI, excels at writing in French and understands the cultural subtleties of institutional communication. In this tutorial, you will learn how to use Mistral to generate a professional press release, from defining the angle to final proofreading. Whether you are a press officer, entrepreneur, or communications manager, you will save considerable time while producing a document ready to be sent to newsrooms. Follow these five steps to turn your news into a compelling press release that meets industry standards.

Prerequisites

  • 1.An account on chat.mistral.ai or access to the Mistral API (Le Platforme)
  • 2.Key information about your news: facts, dates, figures, executive quotes
  • 3.A clear idea of your target audience (industry journalists, general press, local media)
  • 4.Your organization's logo and press contact details

Steps

1

Define the angle and context of your press release

Before writing, you must clarify the editorial angle of your press release. A good press release answers one question: why does this information interest the journalist now? Provide Mistral with the full context of your news so it can identify the most compelling angle. Include the industry, target audience, key facts, and what makes this announcement unique. Mistral will analyze these elements and propose an editorial angle suitable for your target media.

You are a PR expert with 15 years of experience in French institutional communication. I need to write a press release for the following event:

  • Company: [COMPANY_NAME]
  • Industry: [INDUSTRY]
  • News: [describe the event, launch, appointment, etc.]
  • Event date: [DATE]
  • Key figures: [relevant quantified data]
  • Target audience: [tech journalists, business press, local media, etc.]

Propose 3 different editorial angles for this press release, explaining for each: the main hook, the target media type, and why this angle would work. Rank them from most impactful to least impactful.

Tip: The more context you give Mistral, the better the angle will be. Don't hesitate to mention your competitors and market context so the AI understands what sets you apart.
2

Generate the structure and title of the press release

The headline is the most critical element of a press release: 80% of journalists decide whether to read the document based solely on the headline. Ask Mistral to generate multiple headline variations as well as a complete structure respecting the standard format: headline, subtitle, lead, body text, quote, boilerplate, and press contact. The Mistral Large model is particularly good at respecting French editorial conventions.

Based on the following editorial angle: [paste the chosen angle from step 1]

Generate the complete structure of a professional press release including:

  1. 5 headline proposals (catchy, factual, under 80 characters each)
  2. A subtitle of 1 line that complements the headline
  3. A lead paragraph of 3-4 lines summarizing the essentials (who, what, when, where, why)
  4. A detailed body plan in 3-4 paragraphs with points to cover in each
  5. A quote attributed to [EXECUTIVE_NAME_AND_TITLE]
  6. A boilerplate ("About") paragraph for [COMPANY_NAME]

Respect the inverted pyramid format: the most important information first.

Tip: Choose a factual rather than marketing title. Journalists immediately reject releases that look like advertisements. Avoid superlatives like 'revolutionary' or 'unique'.
3

Write the complete press release

This is the actual writing step. By providing Mistral with the validated structure, factual data, and desired tone, you will get a complete and professional first draft. Emphasize adherence to French press conventions: short sentences, active voice, precise figures, no marketing jargon. Mistral excels at respecting these stylistic constraints due to its training on quality French-language corpora.

Now write the complete press release following this structure: [paste the validated structure from step 2]

Writing rules to strictly follow:

  • Total length: between 400 and 500 words (1 A4 page)
  • Average sentence length: maximum 20 words
  • Active voice only (no passive)
  • Include at least 3 figures in the body text
  • No superlative adjectives or promotional vocabulary
  • The quote should be 2-3 sentences and provide a vision or ambition
  • End with the boilerplate and a press contact block including: name, email, phone
  • Add the heading "PRESS RELEASE" and the date
  • Format: [CITY], [DATE]

Here are the factual data to integrate: [paste your key information, figures, quotes]

Tip: Ask Mistral to keep the length to a maximum of one A4 page. Overlong press releases are never read by journalists. If your topic requires more detail, prepare a separate press kit.
4

Optimize and adjust the tone

The first draft always requires adjustments. Use Mistral to refine the tone according to the target media type, strengthen hooks, verify data consistency, and remove any residual promotional language. This rewriting step is crucial to go from 'acceptable' to 'publishable.' You can also ask Mistral to create variations suitable for different press segments (business, industry-specific, local).

Here is my press release: [paste the text generated in step 3]

Perform the following optimizations:

  1. Tone check: remove any word or phrase that sounds 'advertising'. Replace with factual, journalistic phrasing.
  2. Lead reinforcement: verify that it answers the 5Ws (Who, What, When, Where, Why) in 3 lines maximum.
  3. Quote impact: rephrase it so it provides a strategic perspective, not mere satisfaction.
  4. Data consistency: check that figures are coherent with each other and well contextualized.
  5. Readability: break up sentences longer than 25 words, replace technical jargon with accessible terms.

Produce the final optimized version, then list the 3 major changes you made.

Tip: Have the press release reviewed by Mistral by asking it to play the role of a skeptical journalist. Ask it: 'As a busy journalist, what is missing from this press release for you to write an article?'
5

Generate supplementary distribution elements

A press release is never distributed alone. It must be accompanied by a catchy email subject line for sending to journalists, a short cover text, and versions adapted for social media. Mistral can generate all these elements consistently with the press release, ensuring uniform communication across all channels. Also consider generating a short version for news agencies like AFP.

Based on the finalized press release below, generate the following distribution elements:

[paste the final press release]

  1. 3 email subject lines for sending to journalists (under 60 characters, no excessive caps, enticing)
  2. A cover email of 5 lines maximum, personal and direct, that presents the release without fully summarizing it
  3. A LinkedIn post of 200 words for the company account
  4. An X (Twitter) post of maximum 280 characters with a relevant hashtag
  5. A short news wire of 100 words in news agency style (AFP format: factual, no adjectives, minimal sentences)

Each element must be self-contained and understandable without reading the press release.

Tip: Send your press release on Tuesday or Thursday morning between 9 and 10 am: these are the slots when journalists are most receptive. Avoid Monday (overload) and Friday (end of week).

Common mistakes to avoid

  • ✗Using a promotional tone or superlatives ('revolutionary solution', 'undisputed leader') that Mistral may reproduce if your instructions are not strict enough about journalistic register
  • ✗Generating an overly long press release (over 500 words) by providing too much information to Mistral without specifying length constraints — journalists don't read beyond one page
  • ✗Not verifying the facts and figures generated by Mistral: the AI can invent plausible statistics if you don't provide your own verified data
  • ✗Forgetting to adapt the press release for each press segment: a tech journalist and a business journalist expect different angles and levels of technical detail
  • ✗Sending the press release as-is without final human proofreading: even with an excellent prompt, checking proper names, dates, and contact information is essential

FAQ

Which Mistral model should I choose to write a press release?
Choose Mistral Large for press releases. It is the most powerful model for long-form writing in French, with a better understanding of stylistic nuances and journalistic conventions. Mistral Small may suffice for short elements like email subject lines or social media posts, but for the body of the release, Mistral Large will produce a significantly more professional result requiring fewer edits.
Can Mistral replace a press officer for writing press releases?
Mistral is an excellent writing aid, but it cannot replace the expertise of a PR professional. AI can produce a quality first draft in minutes, structure information, and adhere to editorial codes. However, the press officer brings knowledge of journalists, the ability to identify the right angle based on current events, and a network of contacts. The ideal approach is to combine the two: Mistral to speed up production, and human expertise for strategy and distribution.
How can I ensure the press release generated by Mistral doesn't sound artificial?
Three techniques work particularly well. First, provide examples of your previous press releases in the prompt so Mistral aligns with your usual style. Second, include a real quote from your executive rather than a generated one — this is the element most often detected as artificial. Third, ask Mistral to rewrite the text by explicitly removing generic phrases like "we are delighted to," "proud to announce," or "this initiative is part of" — these are typical markers of AI-generated text.

Related tutorials

How to write a press release with ChatGPTHow to write a press release with ClaudeHow to write a blog post with MistralHow to create a content strategy with Mistral

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