News Release and Media List
Sept. 20th, 2026
The assignment had two parts: write a mock news release about a timely news event using AP style, and build a media list of at least five contacts I could realistically pitch it to.
The first decision was who the release was coming from. The obvious move was to write as Apple, but that felt like too much of an established brand. Instead I invented Seatalk Mobile, a fictional wireless retailer with 14 stores in Washington, announcing that it now carries the iPhone 18 Pro. That gave me a local "where," a call to action that wasn't just "go buy this" (free in-store camera demos through October), along with a company I could write a boilerplate about without stepping on a real brand.
For the facts, I worked from Apple's Sept. 9 newsroom release rather than secondhand coverage, since a news release is supposed to be a primary source and journalists will check the numbers.
I included two quotes. One is a short real quote from Greg Joswiak at Apple, attributed to the company's announcement. The other is the invented one the assignment called for with their title after the first sentence.
The media list was gathered to show who this news release would be fit for. I focused on those local around the area or organizations that cover tech topics in the PNW.