diff --git a/docs/release-process.md b/docs/release-process.md
index c1daa47156970..cd9391e2d2c53 100644
--- a/docs/release-process.md
+++ b/docs/release-process.md
@@ -239,7 +239,18 @@ slightly different steps. We'll call attention where the steps differ.
    git tag -s -u YOURKEYID php-X.Y.ZRCn -m "Tag for php-X.Y.ZRCn"
    ```
 
-9. 🔷 **For post-GA releases only,** switch back to the *version branch* for
+9. 🔸 **For pre-GA releases only,** switch back to the `master` (for alphas and betas),
+   or `PHP-X.Y` (for RCs), and update a `NEWS` for the new version. See
+   [Update NEWS for PHP 8.2.0 alpha2][] and [Update NEWS for PHP 8.2.0RC6][] for a real example.
+
+   Commit the changes to the `master` (or `PHP-X.Y`) branch.
+
+   ```shell
+   git add -p
+   git commit --gpg-sign=YOURKEYID -m "[ci skip] Update NEWS for PHP X.Y.Z alpha2"
+   ``` 
+
+   🔷 **For post-GA releases only,** switch back to the *version branch* for
    your release (e.g., `PHP-8.2`) and bump the version numbers in
    `main/php_version.h`, `Zend/zend.h`, `configure.ac` and `NEWS`. This prepares
    the version branch for the next version.
@@ -1086,6 +1097,8 @@ volunteers to begin the selection process for the next release managers.
 [Update versions for PHP 8.1.6RC1]: https://github.com/php/php-src/commit/40e8ced23898e3069340ca03ea5febc5361015ad
 [Update NEWS for PHP 8.1.6RC1]: https://github.com/php/php-src/commit/a4fdeaebe419b88e3b4a1f5aba845c2d4e81fd4e
 [Prepare for PHP 8.1.0RC1]: https://github.com/php/php-src/commit/5764414eb8900ae98020a3c20693f4fb793efa99
+[Update NEWS for PHP 8.2.0 alpha2]: https://github.com/php/php-src/commit/418f7211f71658d79d934861be20f277db96fe2c
+[Update NEWS for PHP 8.2.0RC6]: https://github.com/php/php-src/commit/4ccc414961a70200d638ca281a35f893226d74e2
 [Bump for 8.1.8-dev]: https://github.com/php/php-src/commit/3b6ee1eb19c14c3339ebfcf5c967065a9f828971
 [GitHub command line tool]: https://cli.github.com
 [Announce 8.1.0RC3]: https://github.com/php/web-qa/commit/f264b711fd3827803b79bbb342959eae57ea502b