A fact sheet is a short, scannable document, usually one page, that lists the essential verified details about an organization, product, event or person: headings, bullet points and short descriptions instead of narrative paragraphs, built for a reporter to check facts quickly.
A fact sheet's job is speed. It presents a summary of an event, product, service or person by listing only essential information, using headings, bullet points, short descriptions and contact details so a reader can scan it in under a minute. It is deliberately shorter and less narrative than a backgrounder, which explains context in paragraph form.
Fact sheets typically sit inside a press kit alongside a release, a backgrounder and photos. They answer questions a journalist checks before publishing: correct spelling of a name, an accurate date, the current number of locations or employees, or the exact title of a spokesperson. Because they are meant to be quoted from directly, every line on a fact sheet must be accurate and current.
The most common failure is letting a fact sheet go stale. A figure that changes, such as headcount or the number of markets served, needs updating everywhere it appears, and a fact sheet is often the first document a journalist copies from, so an outdated fact sheet can spread an error into published coverage.
How to: 1) List the facts a stranger would need to describe your organization or event accurately. 2) Use headings and bullets, not paragraphs. 3) Keep it to one page where possible. 4) Include a contact for verification. 5) Date the document. 6) Update it the moment any listed fact changes, and check it before every major announcement.
QUESTIONS
What is a fact sheet used for?
It gives journalists and other readers a fast, accurate reference for key details about an organization, product or event, formatted for scanning rather than reading start to finish. It reduces the chance of small factual errors in coverage.
How is a fact sheet different from a backgrounder?
A fact sheet is short and list-based, built for quick reference. A backgrounder is longer and written in paragraphs, built to explain context and history. Many press kits include both, since they serve different reading needs.
How long should a fact sheet be?
Typically one page, occasionally two. If it grows longer, split it into a fact sheet and a separate backgrounder rather than letting one document try to do both jobs.
How often should a fact sheet be updated?
Whenever any fact on it changes: numbers, names, titles or dates. Since journalists often copy directly from a fact sheet, an outdated one is a common source of small errors in published stories.
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