Why news releases are still the write stuff

We live in a digital age, an ever-evolving landscape of constant communication, but one thing remains clear: news releases are still the golden ticket for PRs aiming to connect with journalists and secure valuable media coverage. Cision have recently released their State of the Press Release and the State of the Media reports, emphasising the value of the news release in the public relations toolkit.

According to the State of the Press Release report, 74% of journalists still want to receive news releases from PR professionals, with 68% saying they are the most useful type of content they receive. This not only shows that news releases are a fundamental communication tool for brands, but that it also helps journalists access essential information quickly and efficiently.

But content overload is, unfortunately, a reality, with the more than half of journalists in the report receiving over 50 pitches a week (in reality, so many more!) so PRs need to ensure their news stands out. An engaging headline, eye-catching images and videos, and an easy-to-read format are now considered must-haves for getting, and crucially keeping a journalist’s attention.

But that’s not all you need. Keeping your news front and centre is key – don’t lead with overly commercial copy or marketing jargon (this can come later). My favourite way to structure a news release is putting the information you don’t mind being cut at the bottom. Do you have an important quote from a CEO you want included in the news article? Put that much higher up in the release. Stats from a survey that emphasises your businesses news? Right in the first paragraph, that’s your news hook.

Given that 72% of journalists have utilised images provided by PRs in the past year, it’s also essential to think of images as part of the news release ‘package’, yet according to the research an unbelievable 49% of communications professionals don’t currently include these in their pitches!

In the State of the Media report, a consistent theme from journalists was that PRs need to do more research on who they’re pitching to and what they’re pitching about. Almost three-quarters of journalists (73%) said that they consider none of the pitches they receive to be relevant. When the journalists were asked to describe the ‘perfect’ PR pitch, relevance was the most cited factor. The onus should be on the PRs to do thorough research into their topic, the publication and journalist before a pitch process has even started. It is doing PR professionals a disservice that with all the tools out there to do research, journalists are still receiving news that has nothing to do with their beat.

If you’re talking about communications in any aspect, you would be remiss to not mention the rise of generative AI. The State of the Press Release report indicates that 25% of PRs are using gen AI to craft news releases, with many leveraging AI for headline writing (49%) and idea generation (38%), however this is not your ‘one and done’ release. Anything written by AI cannot be issued to the media without having a thorough review and edit, as AI news releases are easy to spot and will tarnish your reputation with that journalist.

Despite all these tools, social media platforms and our chronically online lifestyles, news releases still remain the gold standard for communication. As 2024 is coming to a close, it’s clear that the humble news release is not just surviving but thriving in the public relations landscape.

For PR professionals, mastering this craft is key to building lasting relationships with journalists and achieving media success.

Do you have news that you need to shout about? We can help. Get in touch with rebecca@orchardpr.com or arrange a meeting.