This is the final part of our Substack series Inside the Newsroom: What Journalists Really Look for in Press Releases, based on interviews with journalists — including veteran reporters and editors — about how they evaluate press releases.

John Pacenti, an Emmy‑winning investigative journalist who has covered South Florida for more than three decades, said the relationship between a PR representative and a reporter works best when both sides understand what the reporter needs: facts and access.

That expectation starts with the press release. “If I receive a press release that is missing critical information or doesn’t include contact details, I am suspicious of the release, the agency behind it, and the subject matter in general,” said Pacenti, who is president of First Way Communications.

A news release should serve as the reporter’s “elevator pitch” — self‑contained, with all essential information and canned quotes — while still leaving room for follow‑up interviews and additional reporting.

Pacenti pointed to two similar condominium developments in Delray Beach to show how this plays out. One project provided a thorough press release, with the media contact responding quickly. The contact also granted a tour and made business owners available for interviews.

The other offered poor contact information, conflicting details, and no returned calls, Pacenti said. “To this day, I still have not received any information.”

The difference shaped his perception of each project. The first development “went out of their way to provide information.” The second “acted like the reporter was a bother,” which raised red flags.

“As a reporter, it makes me highly suspicious that there is something wrong with the complex,” Pacenti said. “And it all started with the news release.”

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This is part of our Substack series Inside the Newsroom: What Journalists Really Look for in Press Releases, based on interviews with journalists — including veteran reporters and editors — about how they evaluate press releases. Over the next several weeks, EIN Presswire will publish takeaways from those conversations.

You and your PR team may think the story you’re pitching is a no‑brainer for grabbing a journalist’s attention, and often it is.

But in today’s fast‑moving PR industry and crowded media landscape, you still have to make the case in a way that shows it’s truly newsworthy and aimed at the right outlet.

There are two top elements that help a press release get picked up, one of which is making it about a genuinely interesting story, something actually newsworthy and relevant, according to Laura Cassels, a veteran Florida journalist who specializes in state politics, science and economics.

Including access to “source experts” can make a release stand out even more among the masses, she added.

“It should have data and expert quotes to demonstrate what I think of as ‘probable cause’ that the item you pitch might pan out and be worth the writer’s time,” Cassels said.

She also doubled down on an earlier point about targeting the right audience: “The other No. 1 thing is to pitch it to the right outlets. Do the work to know that the writer, editor, or outlet you’re pitching to is the kind that will care about the story you’re pitching. Otherwise, you’re wasting your time and theirs.”

Cassels has spent time on both the PR and journalism sides of the business, handling media relations for Florida’s tourism marketing organization earlier in her career.

On the journalism side, she receives numerous press releases as a veteran reporter whose work can be found in the Florida Trident, Florida Phoenix and Florida Trend.

Building relationships with the media can be rewarding, especially when you can offer “pitches that are appropriate for them, with information they can use, if not this time then maybe next time,” Cassels said.

That’s why it’s important to read a writer’s work or watch a reporter’s coverage. “Comment on it in your communications,” she said, noting that referencing their work when you email a pitch can signal you’ve done your homework.

“If you have a good story to tell, if you pitch it to the right outlet, and you offer to assist further, you might see it published in an outlet where the right readers will see it,” she said. “Offer photography and infographics.”

Cassels said a press release should make its purpose clear at a glance, with the core information up top and clean details, including “anchors so the reader can jump to the parts he or she is curious about.”

She urged communicators to skip “flowery language” and focus on clarity. Cassels also warned against assuming that getting a release published in many places means it had a real impact.

Some outlets will publish a release almost word for word, Cassels said, but that doesn’t mean it’s reaching the right audience. “Those outlets often publish anything from anybody, so yours may just be lost in the noise,” Cassels said.

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People drawn to creating public interest communication campaigns must hold their campaigns to different standards than those used to manage, for example, the release of a new product or raising brand awareness. The reason is that the goal is not just to reach as many people as possible, but to get them to act on what they learn.

The gap between typical communication and public-interest communication is often where many advocacy campaigns stall.

But that gap also represents an opportunity for those with expertise in strategies for successful public interest campaigns, including the important element of building trust with communities.

Their work shows up in campaigns built for real-world changes, not just drawing attention. It can include outreach that connects underserved communities with healthcare services such as preventive screenings or mental health support.

It can also include advocacy campaigns that push for policy change, such as protections for vulnerable groups, funding for public programs, or reforms that improve access and equity.

Awareness Is Not the Most Important Outcome

People can recognize an issue and still stick with the same habits. They can learn about a cause over the weekend, agree with its goals, and then still do nothing come Monday morning. They can still feel inspired and hit barriers, including a lack of time, access, and even social pressure.

That is why behavior change communication starts with a specific action in mind, along with the concrete, practical steps needed to convince people to take it. The goal is to create an observable and trackable behavior.

Public interest communicators often think in terms of verbs: register, attend, vote, donate, and share. The clearer the verb, the clearer the campaign. It’s also important to remember that the “win” of a campaign is a smaller step, such as getting people to make their first appointment for preventative healthcare or attending a policy meeting.

Build a Theory of Change Before You Build Creative

The theory of change involves a simple promise written down: “If we do X, then Y will happen because Z is true.” It forces a team to define a long-term goal, then work backward to identify all the steps needed to achieve it from the current point.

In advocacy campaigns, the theory of change also clarifies who has the authority to change policy, who influences them, which pressure points exist, and what conditions must shift for a decision to be possible. One practical approach to mapping that out would include:

• Defining the end change, such as a policy passing, a healthy practice becoming standard, or a harmful norm weakening.

• Naming the gatekeepers, such as legislators, agency leaders, school boards, and employers.

• Mapping the steps in between, including areas such as beliefs, current norms, incentives, access, enforcement, and services.

• List assumptions about what must happen for each step to hold.

Once the map exists, creative work becomes sharper, and messaging choices become clearer. Channel choices become pathway choices, and the campaign is focused on the steps needed to make lasting change.

Behavior Targets That Are Specific and Measurable

Campaigns drift when targets are fuzzy. Behavior change communication works best when the target can be seen and counted. Public service communication should emphasize the use of behavioral insights to analyze context and help enable the changed behavior, not just promote it.

A useful target definition starts with the specific segment of the public the communication campaign intends to reach and the action it wants to promote. It takes into account that behavior happens when people have capability, opportunity, and motivation. If one is missing, messaging alone will not save the campaign.

This is where advocacy campaigns get smarter, too. Sometimes the best behavior change does not come from the public but from within an institution.

Learn Fast, Measure Honestly, Stay Transparent

If a campaign aims at behavior change, then the communicators must commit to learning all they can about the people they want to reach and how to determine if the campaign is successful.

A key issue in that determination is trust. Advocacy campaigns often ask people to take risks, share data, or change routines. Transparency helps reduce suspicion and strengthen legitimacy, especially in crowded information environments.

When teams track results and share what they learn, they get better.

Evan Kropp, Ph.D., is Executive Director of Distance Education at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications and a faculty member in the online Master of Arts in Mass Communication program. His work focuses on digital education, media strategy, and the evolving role of journalism in the modern media ecosystem.

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This is part of our Substack series Inside the Newsroom: What Journalists Really Look for in Press Releases, based on interviews with journalists — including veteran reporters and editors — about how they evaluate press releases. Over the next several weeks, EIN Presswire will publish takeaways from those conversations.

Because of the constant flow of news, press releases can get buried in journalists’ and editors’ inboxes and in the newswires at times. Still, there are key details communicators can include to help their press releases stand out in a crowded PR landscape.

“There are many avenues of news bombarding media outlets,” some fake or AI generated, said Tammy Joyner, whose four‑decade career in journalism spans a wide range of publications, including a rare experience chatting with former President Jimmy Carter.

Often referred to as the inverted pyramid style, press releases should include the basics at the top: who, what, when, where and why, as well as how about the main subject.

“A good press release includes experts who would provide both sides of the argument about the topic being promoted,” Joyner said.

Joyner, a former editor and reporter whose work has appeared in top publications such as The New York Times, said a release that grabs attention “is properly vetted,” with evidence, background and data “that help differentiate the topic being introduced.”

“I want to know how this information is different, what would the audience want to know, how would it impact their lives or more importantly, make their lives better (or worse, if the topic involves harmful issues),” she added.

She also pointed to practical details that can make or break follow‑up. A clear point of contact with a direct phone number can determine whether a newsroom reaches out for more information.

“One of my pet peeves is news releases, websites, organizations and other entities that do not provide a contact person and phone number,” Joyner said. “To me, that is a total disregard for people’s ability to have access to someone to gain more information.”

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This is part of our series Inside the Newsroom: What Journalists Really Look for in Press Releases, based on interviews with journalists — including veteran reporters and editors — about how they evaluate press releases. Over the next several weeks, EIN Presswire will publish takeaways from those conversations.

One misstep that communicators sometimes make is they don’t do research before pitching a story to a particular newsroom.

Joshua Wilson, executive editor of The Macon Melody who serves in a leadership role for the Georgia Trust for Local News, stressed the importance of this.

Wilson, who has spent two decades in community journalism, advises PR professionals to take a moment to understand what his newsroom covers and the geographic area it serves.

He had a clear message for PR folks: learn the newsroom before you pitch.

“Local matters,” Wilson emphasized. “I’d venture to guess that about 75 percent of press releases or pitches I get have absolutely no relevance to what we’re doing.”

Taking time to learn the newsroom shows editors that you care about the topic and aren’t just “shopping it around for the widest distribution net possible,” said Wilson, who helped launch the Roy Howard Community Journalism Center at the University of Southern Mississippi and has taught journalism and media literacy courses.

Wilson noted his newsroom looks for pitches that align with their mission to provide original community or “solutions-oriented journalism.”

“If your pitch can’t translate into something that’s useful for our readers, and you can’t quickly make me understand how it could, I won’t spend a lot of time on it,” he said.

When asked whether press releases have been a good source for developing stories, Wilson said they definitely can be.

“A lot of our PR friends write beautiful copy and send a lot of assets that we can easily pick up and share online or in print,” he said. “That’s very helpful, but we strive for original reporting, which is why I value thoughtful pitches — those that are clearly oriented to our mission and coverage area — more than press releases.”

He added that personal touches in pitches “go a long way.”

Wilson said: “If it’s obvious that I’m just one peg in your press distribution machine…give us some exclusivity and pitches tailored to us, and I’m all in. You’ll have a friend for life, and that friendship will be mutually beneficial.”

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For more than two decades, a familiar refrain has circulated in media circles: journalism is dying. The decline of newspapers, waves of newsroom layoffs, and the collapse of traditional advertising models have led many observers to conclude that the profession itself was fading away.

At one point, the narrative became so strong that some journalism schools removed the word journalism from the names of their academic programs or eliminated the programs altogether. For example, West Virginia University’s Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism was renamed the Reed College of Media, and the University of New Hampshire eliminated its journalism major in 2024. If the newspaper industry was shrinking, the reasoning went, perhaps journalism as a career path was shrinking with it.

But that conclusion misunderstood what was actually happening.

Journalism was not disappearing. The business model and distribution platforms that historically supported it were undergoing a dramatic transformation.

To understand why journalism is still very much alive today, it helps to briefly look at the trajectory of the industry over the past half century.

From stability to disruption

For most of the late twentieth century, the structure of journalism was relatively stable. Newspapers and broadcast television dominated news distribution, supported largely by advertising revenue. Classified advertising, local retail ads, and national campaigns funded large newsrooms filled with reporters, editors, photographers, and investigative journalists.

Then the internet arrived.

Beginning in the late 1990s and accelerating in the early 2000s, digital platforms reshaped how audiences consumed information and how advertisers spent money. Classified advertising migrated to online platforms. Search engines and social media became primary gateways to information. Print circulation declined.

The consequences were dramatic. According to the Pew Research Center, overall newsroom employment in the United States fell 26 percent between 2008 and 2020. Newspaper newsroom employment alone dropped 57 percent during that period, falling from roughly 71,000 employees to about 31,000. At the same time, employment in digital native news organizations grew by more than 140 percent as new online outlets emerged.

In other words, journalism jobs did not simply vanish. They shifted.

Still, the visible collapse of many legacy institutions fueled the perception that journalism itself was disappearing.

When newspapers declined, people declared journalism dead

As newsroom layoffs mounted and newspapers closed, the industry entered a period of pessimism. Local newspapers that had served communities for decades shuttered or dramatically reduced coverage.

Over the past two decades, the United States has lost thousands of local newspapers, leaving many communities with little or no dedicated news coverage. Some estimates suggest that nearly 40 percent of local newspapers have disappeared, leaving roughly 50 million Americans with limited access to reliable local news.

These areas are often described as news deserts.

The concept reflects a troubling reality. When local reporting disappears, communities lose coverage of school boards, city councils, courts, and local government. Research has shown that the absence of local journalism can reduce civic engagement and weaken accountability in public institutions.

Given this backdrop, it was not surprising that some observers concluded journalism itself was fading away.

But that assumption confused a platform with a profession.

Journalism versus the newspaper business model

Newspapers were one method of delivering journalism. They were not journalism itself.

The core functions of journalism remain exactly what they have always been: gathering information, interviewing sources, verifying facts, writing clearly, and explaining complex issues to the public.

What has changed is how and where those skills are applied.

Today, journalism is distributed across digital publications, podcasts, video platforms, nonprofit investigative organizations, newsletters, and independent reporting projects. Many journalists now operate outside traditional newsroom structures, reaching audiences directly through digital platforms.

In fact, the fragmentation of the media ecosystem may make professional journalism more important than ever. When information flows through thousands of sources rather than a handful of newspapers and broadcast networks, the ability to verify facts and communicate responsibly becomes even more valuable.

This shift toward new forms of journalism is also visible in journalism education.

A case study in journalism’s evolution

In January 2025, the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications launched a new concentration within its Master of Arts in Mass Communication program: Digital Journalism and Multimedia Storytelling.

The goal was simple. Prepare journalists for the modern media ecosystem rather than the legacy newsroom of decades past.

When the program launched, the initial enrollment target for the first year was 15 students. That would bring the program to approximately 30 students after two years.

The response to this new offering and its modern approach to journalism education exceeded expectations.

Within one year, by January 2026, the program had already enrolled 29 students, just one student short of its two-year target. At the same time, dozens of additional applications were already arriving for the next enrollment cycle.

The demand was unmistakable.

Students were not abandoning journalism. They were seeking training that reflected how journalism actually operates today.

This renewed interest is also visible elsewhere in higher education. The University of New Hampshire, which had previously eliminated its journalism major, announced in November 2025 that it would relaunch journalism as part of a newly envisioned English and Journalism program. The move reflected a growing recognition that while traditional newsroom structures have changed, the need for strong reporting, writing, and storytelling skills has not.

Independent journalism and the expanding media landscape

Part of the reason for this demand is the rise of independent journalism.

In recent years, journalists have increasingly launched their own newsletters, podcasts, digital investigative outlets, and local reporting initiatives. Platforms that allow creators to publish directly to audiences have lowered the barriers to entry.

At the same time, nonprofit journalism organizations and digital native newsrooms have emerged to fill coverage gaps left by shrinking legacy institutions.

These developments are not replacing traditional journalism entirely, but they are expanding the ecosystem in which journalism operates.

And in a fragmented information environment, the foundational skills of journalism remain essential. Writing clearly. Verifying information. Interviewing sources. Conducting research. Communicating responsibly to the public.

Those skills do not become less important in the digital age. They become more important.

The story of journalism over the past two decades is often told as one of decline. Certainly, the collapse of the newspaper business model was painful and disruptive for the profession.

But that disruption also triggered innovation.

Journalism migrated to new platforms, new formats, and new organizational structures. Independent reporters, nonprofit newsrooms, and digital storytelling initiatives now operate alongside legacy media organizations.

Journalism did not disappear.

It evolved.

Evan Kropp, Ph.D., is Executive Director of Distance Education at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications and a faculty member in the online Master of Arts in Mass Communication program. His work focuses on digital education, media strategy, and the evolving role of journalism in the modern media ecosystem.

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This is part of our series Inside the Newsroom: What Journalists Really Look for in Press Releases, based on interviews with journalists — including veteran reporters and editors — about how they evaluate press releases. Over the next several weeks, EIN Presswire will publish takeaways from those conversations.

Community editors, whose small team of reporters often focus on what’s happening in the communities they serve, look for press release content that genuinely adds something to the local outlet, especially when it ties directly to local readers.

Cheri Martin, a former community newspaper editor at The Wakulla News and the Gadsden County Times in Florida with decades of journalism experience, said she always scanned for “press release content that truly enhanced the paper with an eye toward local connections first.”

She pointed to the difference between pushing something that feels like self promotion or advertorial content and offering real news or feature value, saying the latter is what her newspaper preferred.

Her newsroom relied on a mix of outside content, including news releases, to fill gaps in coverage, from gardening tips to home organizing advice to features on regional attractions.

“All these basically saved me from paying for extra syndicated content,” she said, adding that one popular feature that “readers appreciated” was the Ringling Museum in Sarasota.

Martin said many of the features she used started as press releases about new books, including several she remembered coming through press release distribution platform EIN Presswire.

Most “regional press release content” that made it into her paper came from government agencies or was connected to festivals, cultural events or business announcements with clear relevance.

But she was blunt about the limits. “It’s harder at the weekly community newspaper level unless it’s pertaining to a local event,” she said. “Resources are scarce. Even legitimate community newspaper stories were sometimes relegated to photos and information submitted by community contributors.”

As for general advice for sending news, Martin said tight writing helps, and follow up matters. A quick phone call can surface the missing angle that gets a release published.

She recalled a PR rep who wanted coverage of a church’s disaster response efforts. “I said we needed a drop dead local connection and he found it for me and resubmitted.”

One more practical tip: many legitimate releases never reach editors at all, so it’s a good idea to reach back out to the newsroom. “A lot of legit press releases automatically ended in my spam filter,” she said.

That’s another reason to follow up. And once an editor uses your content, Martin said it’s worth asking them to add your organization as a trusted sender.

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This is the first part of our series Inside the Newsroom: What Journalists Really Look for in Press Releases, based on interviews with journalists — including veteran reporters and editors — about how they evaluate press releases. Over several weeks, EIN Presswire will publish takeaways and behind‑the‑scenes insights from those conversations.

In today’s information age, news is everywhere, from social media to websites, giving journalists countless story ideas and sources to draw from. They can quickly find breaking developments, trends, or quotes to include in their stories.

Still, one tool that has stood the test of time and that many news organizations continue to rely on is the press release.

These news releases often arrive as email pitches sent directly to editors, reporters and producers, or through specialized tools such as press release distribution platforms used by businesses, PR and marketing agencies, entrepreneurs and other organizations. Common tools include EIN Presswire, Cision, GlobeNewswire, and more.

But in what has become a crowded digital media funnel, editors, reporters and other newsroom associates can receive dozens, sometimes hundreds, of press releases daily in their inboxes.

Because of strict deadlines and a constant flow of news, many journalists skim releases to quickly assess what is timely, relevant and credible before deciding whether to read further, follow up, or move on.

For PR professionals, businesses, and brands, that reality raises an important question: What actually makes a press release stand out to the individuals in the media who decide what gets covered or cited?

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Earned media and AI visibility

A press release serves many purposes. It formally announces news and gives journalists, AI systems and stakeholders something concrete to reference.

Which brings us to the elephant in the room: When a press release is sent, another major goal is earned media.

That earned coverage can take many forms — a reporter incorporating information from the release into a larger story, requesting an interview, or quoting a source. It might also include a podcast appearance, a broadcast segment, or print placement in a newspaper or magazine.

Still, the good news is that even if a press release does not generate earned media, using PR distribution services can provide other lasting benefits.

For one, news releases are often published online on multiple news platforms through distribution services that have wide-ranging media networks, such as EIN Presswire, Cision and others. These published clips significantly help increase visibility for a company, organization, or a brand.

And now, as AI-powered search tools become increasingly common, news releases can be picked up by systems such as Google’s AI Overviews and referenced in AI-generated summaries or answers, including those produced by ChatGPT.

What editors and reporters look for in a news release

Meanwhile, a quick Google search on how to grab the media’s attention results in plenty of general advice. But perspectives tend to be more useful when they come directly from people who have worked in newsrooms and made those decisions firsthand.

So to find out, we asked veteran editors and reporters who have covered different beats for various media outlets to share the specific elements they look for when reviewing press releases and deciding what to cover or reference.

Their perspectives, many of whom shared that press releases remain sources they rely on, help bridge the gap between the media and communicators.

Several themes emerged in their responses: begin with a strong lead (opening sentences), keep the story relevant, include compelling quotes or data, and do research on journalists and outlets that pitches or releases are sent to. They also flagged common missteps that can cause otherwise newsworthy announcements to be overlooked.

Subscribe and stay tuned so you don’t miss the conversations shaping the future of news.

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Michaela Jackson, part of the risk assessment team at EIN Presswire, contributed to this article.

Let’s face it. When you start looking for ways to get your news in front of the media (and now AI tools), it can feel overwhelming because there are so many channels of communications to consider. It’s not always clear which ones are worth your time or money.

One effective tool that has been around for more than a century is sending press releases through distribution platforms. These specialized services offer a way to share company news, updates and announcements about your brand or business with a wide network of media outlets without having to track down countless journalist emails or phone numbers.

However, people new to PR can sometimes find the terminology on these distribution websites confusing. Don’t panic. These terms become much easier to understand once you grasp the basics.

Terms like syndication, GEO, and distribution reports can sound like a foreign language. For those who find themselves navigating uncharted territory, we’ve broken down some of the common jargon you’ll see on EIN Presswire and other press release distribution platforms.

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What is a press release?

First, let’s start off with what a press release is (and what it isn’t). Sometimes also referred to as “media alerts,” a press release is a 500-700 word formal announcement from a company or brand to inform the public, the media, and shareholders about new developments or upcoming events.

Press releases are:

• Written from a neutral, third-person perspective. Instead of “We are proud to announce…” a press release would say, “Company Name is proud to announce…”

• Making a clear, timely, newsworthy announcement. Common angles include: promotions or staff appointments, quarterly financial updates, company statements on current events, achievements, awards, and milestones, business expansions, and the introduction of new products or services.

• Written by following a specific press release format. Typically, this includes a headline, a dateline, an intro paragraph, body content, a boiler plate, and contact information.

• Great tools for marketing, boosting brand awareness, and improving SEO/GEO.

Press releases are not:

• Advertisements. If the content is primarily aimed at selling a product or service, without any newsworthy or informative elements, then it is an advertisement and not a press release. Hyperbolic claims, overly promotional language, and superlatives should be avoided.

• Opinion pieces, otherwise known as “op-eds.” If the primary purpose of the content is to persuade the public to your stance on an issue or relies on personal opinions and interpretations of facts, then it is an opinion piece and not a press release. Exposés and open letters often also fall into this category.

• Potentially libelous, harmful, or malicious.

Why is this important?

Press releases are one of the most commonly used tools for brand strategy, and it’s been that way for over a century! Press releases have been around since 1906, and they’ve endured as a staple of the marketing and PR industry because of their effectiveness and universal accessibility. All of the biggest brands in the world utilize press releases to get their message to consumers, shareholders, and the media. So, whether they’re a new brand just beginning their journey, a well-established company looking to boost their online presence, or a PR agent tasked with enhancing the digital marketing strategy of their clients, press releases are a critical piece of today’s online news landscape.

Further reading: How to Write a GREAT Press Release

What is a boilerplate?

A boilerplate is the part of a press release where you tell your audience about your business or brand. It’s a concise, compelling paragraph that explains what you do, why, and how. It may also cite things like ownership, growth data, and the organization’s website to inform (and impress) the audience.

Shortening your brand’s mission statement and purpose into 3-5 sentences may seem like a tall order. However, it’s more simple than you might think. Here’s an example of an EIN Presswire boilerplate to consider:

About EIN Presswire

EIN Presswire, Everyone’s Internet News Presswire, founded by industry experts, delivers breaking news to a global audience through innovative, cost-effective distribution channels, making it a leading hub for professionals seeking to share or discover news efficiently and effectively. EIN Presswire is an operating division of Newsmatics Inc., a Washington, D.C.-based news tech company. Learn more by visiting www.einpresswire.com.

Why is it essential?

Boilerplates cover the main features of a brand in a way that is easily understood by readers, journalists, search engines, and AI tools. They help you control your brand’s narrative and spread awareness by condensing a company’s information into a citable, indexable, and memorable format. It’s a key feature of writing an effective, professional press release!

Further reading: Master the Press Release: Key Elements That Build Credibility and Reach

What is a newsroom?

Think of a newsroom as an online hub where all of a company’s press releases and recent news is gathered in one place. You can browse their recent headlines and catch up on their latest updates. Usually newsrooms also display the company’s logo and press contact information.

Why is this important?

Newsrooms are frequently used by journalists, industry professionals, and stakeholders to stay informed about a brand or organization. They offer a credible information source for artificial intelligence tools and search engines to pull answers from.

Further reading: Newsroom Setup & Use Guide

What is a newswire?

Though the term may sound ancient to some, newswires (or “wire services”) are used every day by journalists and news consumers alike to receive critical news updates, and by brands and companies to get those updates to the public. Newswires are a time-tested and strategic way to get news to the masses.

In today’s digital world, a newswire is a service or online platform that sends news and announcements to journalists, editorial departments, news outlets, and media databases for publication. Basically, it gets your news where it needs to go.

Newswires act as a bridge between organizations and the media outlets they want to reach, making sure important updates reach the right platforms quickly in a format reporters are ready to use.

EIN Presswire is considered a newswire because we distribute to a wide range of online platforms, media databases, and news outlets. These sources are then used by search engines and LLMs (Large Language Models) to provide answers to questions the public is searching for.

Why is this useful?

Most individuals and businesses don’t have direct publishing relationships with news platforms, media databases, and journalists. That’s where newswires come in. Wire services are especially useful for small and mid-sized businesses, self-promoters, and startup brands that don’t always have dedicated PR teams, or for adhoc announcements that need to go out fast. Researching media outlets, building distribution lists, and finding journalist and editor emails is time-consuming and tedious, but a newswire does that heavy-lifting for you.

Further reading: More Than Announcements: Press Releases In The AI Era Focus On Scalable, Search-Friendly Content

What is syndication?

If you’ve worked in the PR world, you’ve probably heard this term before, but you may not be familiar with what it actually means.

In the context of media and content, syndication is the mass transfer of content, usually between a publisher and news outlets or media databases. This is typically an automated process done through a variety of methods - from APIs, to RSS feeds, to content management systems.

Why is this important?

Syndication is a part of the magic sauce that makes press release distribution platforms like EIN Presswire such a valuable tool in content strategy. The platform builds the syndication tools and media relationships so you can focus on putting out great content about your brand.

Further reading: Why Press Release Distribution is More Than Just a ‘Send’ Button

What is a distribution report?

After a press release is published by a distribution platform like EIN Presswire, clients receive a distribution report for that release.

Think of it as a “report card” showing how and where your news was distributed.

A distribution report is a document provided after publication that tracks where the press release was delivered. For EIN Presswire, your report will give you links to where your release was syndicated across our distribution network, including placement on major news sites and partner platforms such as Google News, AP News, the National Law Review, and the USA TODAY Network, as well as how your release is visible in search engines like Google.

EIN Presswire’s distribution reports also include AI-related visibility information, reflecting how press releases may appear or be referenced in ChatGPT. This new addition shows the growing role of AI in how people discover and consume news.

Check out a sample distribution report from EIN Presswire.

Why is this useful?

Distribution reports give you a clearer picture of how your news is being distributed and discovered. The way people search for and consume information continues to evolve, with AI tools becoming increasingly common. These insights help you better understand your reach across online platforms.

Further reading: Get Your Brand Discovered by AI

What is a media list?

Media lists are lists or databases of press contacts (journalists, editorial teams, bloggers, newspapers, radio stations, etc.) that usually contains contact information and notes about what topics are covered by each contact. These lists are used by public relations pros to get in direct contact with a journalist or organization about a subject they may be interested in running a piece about. They’re also used by press release distribution platforms to share news with the media about a specific topic or location.

EIN Presswire makes its media lists public via our World Media Directory. Take a look at our United States national media list to see an example of what media lists look like.

Why is it important?

Most media professionals will tell you that networking is a key part of the public relations business. The same can also be said for press release distribution! That’s why so many people turn to distribution companies like EIN Presswire - media lists are ready-made, and we take care of sending the release to relevant contacts for you, so you can get exposure with top editorial rooms at the click of a button.

Further reading: How EIN Presswire Took the Pain Out of Cold Emails

What is SEO?

When someone searches for a brand or topic online, content should be easy to locate.

The goal is simple. Make content easier to discover when people search for relevant topics or keywords on platforms such as Google. Ranking on the first page of search results is often the target.

In a nutshell, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of improving how well content appears in search engine results. Effective SEO helps content rank higher so people do not have to search extensively to find it.

Why is this important?

Higher visibility in search results means the likelihood that content will be seen, read, and shared. For businesses and brands, strong SEO helps ensure their news and information reach the right audience in an increasingly digital search environment.

Further reading: How Press Releases Improve SEO and AI Reach

What is GEO?

The way people look for information about topics, companies, and brands is continuously evolving.

Instead of relying only on traditional search engines, more people are asking questions directly to AI chatbots and tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, Grok and Gemini. The cool thing is people are receiving conversational answers.

GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) focuses on helping content appear in responses generated by AI-powered tools. Rather than showing a list of links, these systems generate direct answers by drawing from the content they have learned and summarized.

Why is this essential?

As AI tools become a more common way people discover information, visibility within AI-generated responses matters. GEO helps ensure that accurate, relevant brand content is more likely to be reflected in those answers, alongside traditional search visibility.

Further reading: Toolkit for AI-Driven Communications

So, what’s next?

Now that you’ve learned some of the basic PR jargon, you’re better equipped to understand how press release distribution works. Did we miss anything? Comment below!

Public relations and marketing professionals have a lot in their toolbox to help clients and brands achieve their goals and build success.

Though marketing and PR are different, they complement each other by working together to shape a brand’s narrative (PR) and drive business and sales goals (marketing).

One tool once championed mostly by PR professionals is now a go-to for marketers as well: the press release.

When it comes to communicating messages to the public, a well-structured press release not only gets your news out but also garners media coverage and the attention of AI systems.

That’s right: press releases are more important now than ever in the discoverability game, helping brands control their narrative across platforms.

So, what makes a good press release? Glad you asked.

The team at EIN Presswire works hard every day, with more than 180,000 news releases sent through the platform in 2025 to a wide range of publications and media outlets. We’ve seen what works and what doesn’t, and we’re here to share our expertise so you can be on your way to writing a release that gets real results.

For starters, a press release is an official document that announces something newsworthy: a new hire, product launch, event, a public statement regarding an issue, or even quarterly sales goals.

Marketers can use them to highlight promotions, partnerships, and more. The key is relevance. If it’s timely, interesting, and has a clear angle, it’s definitely worth sharing.

Over the years, press releases have evolved, and now they help your brand or organization appear in the next generation of information tools: AI search engines. That’s right, a simple press release can help you control your brand narrative even in the face of worldwide communications changes.

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Reports show how AI search is reshaping online visibility:

• In May 2025, Google’s AI Overviews caused the share of news-related searches without a website click to rise from 56% to 69%, according to the New York Post.

• A Pew Research Center study found that when an AI summary appears at the top of results, users click on links only 8% of the time, compared with 15% when no summary appears. That means most people get their answer without tapping any link.

What does this mean? People are relying more than ever on AI summaries to get their information. These summaries are fundamentally shaped directly by the content being fed into search engines like Google and LLMs such as ChatGPT. Press releases offer brands significant influence over these AI summaries because press releases are considered trustworthy sources.

Writing a press release is an art, but with the tools in this guide, you’ll be able to master it in no time. And here’s the best part: you don’t need a degree in public relations — just a willingness to start writing.

With a little practice, you can learn to structure your message, find the right tone, follow basic guidelines, and get results.

Whether you want media coverage, better visibility in AI and search engines, or simply to share your news to the world, press releases are a powerful tool when used the right way.

An expert from the EIN Presswire risk assessment team breaks down what makes a press release effective and explains how it can benefit your brand.

What are the key components of an effective press release?

An effective press release includes several core elements:

• A clear, newsworthy announcement

• Relevant keywords for searchability

• A neutral, professional tone

• Concise, well-structured content

Before you begin writing your press release, think about the most compelling and pertinent messages you want your audience to know right away. This is called the inverted pyramid style, a way of writing where the most important information comes first, followed by supporting details and background, so readers, journalists, search engines, and AI tools get the key points right away.

At the core of a well-written press release that meets journalistic standards is following Associated Press style, a widely used writing guide for journalists and press releases.

The Basics of AP Style

To ensure your press release meets basic standards and is easy for journalists to use without major edits, it’s important to adhere to AP style guidelines. Although the AP Stylebook includes many rules, we’ve covered some of the most common and relevant ones below.

Headline

• Use title case: Capitalize the first word, along with all major words — nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and pronouns

• Lowercase articles (a, an, the), conjunctions (and, but, or), and short prepositions (in, on, of) unless they appear at the beginning or end of the title.

• Keep it short and direct

• Use single quotation marks in headlines

Dateline

• Place before the lead paragraph

• Format: CITY, STATE/COUNTRY, DATE (in all caps). For example: WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, Aug. 4, 2025

Numbers

• Spell out numbers one through nine

• Use numerals for 10 and above, ages, and percentages

Dates

• Spell out months when used alone or with only the year (e.g., August 2025)

• Abbreviate Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., and Dec. when used with a specific date (e.g., Aug. 5, 2025)

Quotes

• Use double quotation marks for a person’s direct words

• Introduce quotes with the speaker’s full name and title on first reference

Job Titles

• Capitalize titles only when they precede a name (e.g., President Donald Trump)

• Lowercase titles when they follow a name or stand alone (e.g., Jeremy Fields, vice president of corporate development at Newsmatics)

Crafting Content That Resonates

Talking with Michaela Jackson of EIN Presswire’s risk assessment team, it’s clear that a press release’s primary job is to “deliver news in a way that’s easy to understand and relevant to its intended audience.”

That clarity isn’t just for readers — it’s also essential for discoverability.

Jackson says including relevant keywords in the headline and body helps improve visibility with the right audience — especially through search engines and AI-driven platforms that categorize and surface content for readers and journalists. “Keywords are key!” she said.

Tone matters too. Effective press releases avoid promotional, sensational or overly persuasive language, allowing the announcement to stand on its own merits.

“Using a biased or advertorial tone can destroy credibility with media outlets, journalists, and readers who are desperately looking for trustworthy content in today’s uncertain news environment,” Jackson explained.

Then there’s structure. “Press release” is not just a type of news content — it’s a specific format that’s been optimized for readability,” Jackson said. “Start with a strong introduction paragraph, followed by supporting details and quotes, and wrap it up with a boilerplate.”

What is a boilerplate? It is a short, standard paragraph at the end that gives background information about the company or organization. The purpose is to help readers and reporters quickly understand who’s behind the release.

Jackson also emphasized the value of visual elements: “Don’t forget to add multimedia to make your release more dynamic and keep readers engaged for longer. Images, video, and press kits make for more memorable content.”

How can a well-written release benefit a brand or organization?

Jackson reiterated that a well-crafted press release can improve visibility in search engines and AI tools — where most people go to find information — and position the organization as a credible source.

It can also attract media coverage, helping your story land on numerous platforms through EIN Presswire’s distribution, including Google News, The Associated Press, U.S. TV and radio affiliates (Fox, NBC, ABC, CBS, CW), The National Law Review and more.

Other benefits of press releases include driving website traffic and keeping stakeholders informed. “Press releases are an essential part of brand strategy,” she said.

With the new year just days away, it is a good time to start thinking about how you will spread the word about your brand in 2026. That includes having news ready to share across a wide mix of platforms using EIN Presswire’s massive distribution network.

And now that we’ve added USA TODAY Network, formerly Gannett, you soon will be able to reach an even broader audience. We know you have important announcements to make, milestones and inspirational stories to share, and products to roll out in January 2026.

So what did we learn in 2025?

EIN Presswire, the world’s leading press release distribution platform, sent out more than 190,000 press releases in 2025. That shows why small and mid-sized businesses, PR agencies, and nonprofits rely on us to get their news in front of the right people.

But we’ve learned that reaching journalists should no longer be the only end goal. Today, visibility also means showing up where people discover information, including AI-driven tools that summarize, surface, and recommend content in real time. Think ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude, among others.

That shift reshaped communications strategies this year, and it will continue into 2026. At EIN Presswire, we stayed ahead of the curve, showing how press releases go beyond headlines and serve as trusted sources for AI systems to reference.

Throughout 2025, we shared practical PR insights, tips and real-world examples, as well as stories of PR leaders who have made an impact in the industry.

Below are our top five EIN Presswire Substack posts of 2025.

1. How Press Releases Boost SEO and AI Visibility for Your Brand

   Press releases do more than share news — they boost online visibility by helping your brand and keywords appear faster and more often in search results and news feeds. They support both search engine optimization (SEO) and generative engine optimization (GEO) by distributing content across multiple sites and helping AI tools like Gemini and ChatGPT include your brand in their answers. Press releases can also earn valuable backlinks from trusted news outlets, improving credibility and search rankings. For small and mid-sized businesses, press releases are a simple way to increase visibility in both search engines and AI-powered platforms.

2. Generative Engine Optimization: How To Get Your Brand Cited By LLMs

   In an exclusive piece for the Forbes Communications Council, Jeremy Fields, vice president of corporate development at Newsmatics (parent company of EIN Presswire), explains how generative engine optimization (GEO) is emerging as a critical strategy as AI continues to reshape how people search for information. As search behavior changes, content now helps determine how AI tools find, rank and present answers. Brand visibility and narrative control still matter, Fields explains, but communications and marketing teams must also think about how large language models shape those results.

3. Case Study: How Diverse Businesses Use Press Releases to Gain AI Visibility and Drive Growth

   For diverse and mission-driven businesses, visibility is about more than recognition — it creates access, trust and opportunity. My Home Pathway needed a clear way to connect its story with audiences and partners positioned to drive real change. The organization purchased a corporate distribution package to share press releases with clear, accessible messaging around complex housing issues. The effort resulted in high-impact media placements and increased visibility across AI-driven platforms.

4. White Paper: How Press Releases Improve SEO & AI Reach

   Press releases today do more than secure media coverage. They also help content surface in two critical places: search engines and AI-powered tools. This white paper features insights from the EIN Presswire team, breaking down how news releases support both search engine optimization and generative engine optimization. It outlines how brands can increase visibility across search platforms and AI tools such as Gemini and ChatGPT, including SEO and GEO strategies. A must-read for small and mid-market businesses and PR professionals looking to stay competitive in an evolving search landscape.

5. The Truth Behind the Trend: Pros and Cons of Influencer Marketing

   Influencer marketing has grown from a niche tactic to a key strategy for brands of all sizes. Social media influencers offer a way to connect with audiences in authentic and engaging ways, but the approach comes with both advantages and drawbacks. We break down the pros and cons in this post and share a podcast featuring a PR veteran who explains how some influencers are raking in serious dough by promoting brands on platforms such as TikTok, Facebook and Instagram.

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Originally published by the Forbes Communications Council, this article was written by Jeremy Fields, vice president of corporate development at Newsmatics, which owns EIN Presswire.

Traditional press release distribution has been under fire for being impersonal and ignored by journalists since the teletypewriters went silent in newsrooms eons ago.

Along comes artificial intelligence, and all of a sudden, press release distribution is invaluable for those seeking to control brand narratives, pushing targeted announcements and seeking metrics at scale, all thanks to agentic tools being developed seemingly overnight.

Press releases have and will continue to evolve with technology, from wire services to email blasts to today’s algorithmic syndication. What’s changed is not just the channel, but the role. Today’s releases are written for both human readers and the AI models that increasingly summarize, recommend and amplify content.

Now that we’re in the AI era, I’ve taken a deep dive into learning how to apply modern communications strategies. This includes showing how press releases can be used to feed AI systems, especially as more people turn to AI-driven search for information about companies.

My conclusion: A press release, when written with authority and structure, helps brands show up in AI results on ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Google’s AI Overviews.

Broad Reach With Targeted Distribution At Scale

It may seem oxymoronic, but syndicating content across large data points for large language models (LLMs) to absorb allows for both immediate and long-lasting impact on AI-driven search results.

For example, a healthcare group announcing a clinical trial can share the press release with major news outlets, medical journals and AI-friendly databases. This broad, targeted approach helps the content reach the right audiences and improves its chances of being picked up by AI search tools.

Optimized For Humans And AI Bots Alike

Team syndication at scale with various natural language processing (NLP) tools can generate vast amounts of content quickly in formats such as text, audio and video. That content can then be posted on publications, social media, forums, and audio and video platforms, making it attractive and consumable for both human and AI audiences.

Let’s say a company is launching a new product. It can publish a press release, turn it into a LinkedIn post, create an explainer video for YouTube, and record a podcast clip for Spotify. That way, people can read, watch or listen—all while AI bots crawl and index the text for discoverability.

Metrics You Can Use

Tools for real-time performance tracking and predictive analytics are more available and affordable than ever, and give PR professionals actionable insights right away. AI-powered dashboards can measure open and click-through rates, social media engagement and even sentiment analysis in real time.

Predictive analytics models can forecast the likely impact of a press release before it’s even sent!

Practical Tips For AI-Era Press Release Distribution

1. Write For Both Humans And Machines

Think of every release as both a story and a data source. Keep press releases clear and concise for readers, but also structured with SEO-friendly keywords and AI-friendly formatting so they can be easily indexed by search engines and AI models.

2. Leverage Optimal Syndication

Tap into broad syndication networks to expand reach, but refine distribution with targeting such as industry, geography or dedicated newsgroups. This combination delivers immediate relevant indexing while also securing long-term discoverability in traditional and AI-driven search results.

3. Repurpose Across Formats

Do not just stop at the press release. Repurpose your content into short form social media posts, audio sound-bites and video clips. Modern AI-powered NLP and generative tools make this easy and scalable, ensuring your content engages across different platforms like LinkedIn, X, YouTube, TikTok and more.

4. Track And Adapt In Real Time

Press release distribution is no longer a fire-and-forget process. Use AI dashboards to monitor performance metrics across platforms, such as open rates, shares, sentiment and engagement. See a trend with your engagement? Pivot and follow it.

5. Control Your Brand Narrative Into The Future

Control the story of your brand. Every release becomes part of the digital record and a potential training data point for LLMs. Syndicating quality releases consistently feeds the LLMs the data they need to summarize and explain your brand in the future.

Final Thoughts

Every press release becomes a key building block of your brand narrative. Syndicate smartly and optimize for both humans and machines, and your story will not just make headlines today, it will echo in the algorithms of tomorrow.

To stay ahead, communicators should adapt early by aligning their content strategies with how AI systems discover and prioritize information. If you wait too long, your brand’s story could risk getting reshaped by someone else, or just left out of AI-driven conversations entirely.

You can also find the article on Forbes.

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Originally published by the Forbes Communications Council, this article was written by Jeremy Fields, vice president of corporate development at Newsmatics, which owns EIN Presswire.

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Generative engine optimization (GEO), much like search engine optimization (SEO), is becoming a critical strategy for businesses as the AI revolution continues to gain momentum.

In fact, the way people search for information has shifted—your content now helps shape how AI tools find, rank and present answers.

Brand visibility, narrative control, web traffic and online influence are still essential—but now, communications and marketing teams must also think about how to shape the large language models (LLMs) behind today’s emerging “ask engines.”

Before diving into strategy, it’s important to understand how these systems work. GEO is something I’ve invested a lot of my time into learning and optimizing, and I’m eager to share some of those insights with you in this article.

LLMs can be thought of as vast digital libraries, ingesting and indexing as much of the world’s information as they can access. These models power generative AI tools, chatbots, digital assistants and AI search engines that provide real-time answers to nearly any question or task.

They pull data from websites, social media posts, online forums, video platforms, audio files and more—essentially anything they can process and index.

1. Practical GEO Techniques

GEO begins with a shift in mindset: you’re no longer just writing for human readers and search engine crawlers. You’re also writing for language models that summarize, synthesize and repackage your content.

Here are a few key techniques to make your content AI-friendly:

• Structure For Clarity: Use clear headlines, subheadings, bullet points and short paragraphs. LLMs perform best with well-organized information and are more likely to surface content that’s easy to parse.

• Write Conversationally, But Informatively: Think about how your content would sound if read out loud by an AI assistant. Use natural language, but also ensure your key facts and messaging are clear.

• Use FAQs And Summary Boxes: These formats are commonly pulled by LLMs to directly answer user questions. Embedding a Q&A section at the end of your articles or press releases can increase visibility.

• Prioritize Accuracy And Sourceability: LLMs are more likely to reference content that appears trustworthy. Include stats, links to original sources, dates and named experts to boost credibility.

• Optimize Metadata And Schema Markup: Just as with SEO, include descriptive titles, alt text and semantic markup to help AI tools understand context, especially for multimedia or structured content.

2. How LLMs Determine What Content Gets Surfaced

While traditional search engines use algorithms focused on keyword matching, backlinks and technical optimization, LLMs rely on a mix of factors. The following are a few of the factors I’ve found are particularly important in the LLM space:

• Authority And Trust Signals: LLMs prefer content from reputable sources, including government sites, academic institutions, well-known media outlets and brands with consistent public presence.

• Clarity And Self-Containment: AI models gravitate toward content that stands on its own without requiring additional context. A concise, fully self-contained explanation or answer is more likely to be reused.

• Repetition Across Trusted Sources: If your brand narrative appears consistently across multiple authoritative sites, LLMs are more likely to pick it up as a validated truth.

• Contextual Relevance Over Exact Keywords: LLMs don’t rely solely on keyword density. Instead, they understand the meaning of content. This opens the door to more natural writing and varied phrasing.

3. Content Types That Perform Well With Generative AI

Not all content is created equal when it comes to LLMs. Here are formats that I’ve found tend to be favored by generative engines:

• Q&As And FAQs: These are a staple for LLM training. These are frequently reused when users ask AI tools for fast answers.

• How-To Guides And Tutorials: Step-by-step breakdowns are commonly used to answer user questions and are often quoted directly.

• Lists and Rankings: Top 5s, 10s and pros and cons lists offer clear insights that models can easily repackage.

• Executive Summaries And Position Statements: These are useful when people ask “What does X think about Y?” or “What is [X Company]’s mission?”

• Glossaries And Definitions: If you coin or define a term, especially around niche industry language, there’s a chance the AI will adopt your version.

4. AI Discovery Versus Traditional Search: What’s Changing

The move from search engines to “ask engines” changes how people find and experience your content.

• From Finding To Fetching: Traditional search required users to sift through links. AI discovery provides synthesized answers, often without users visiting your site. That makes it more important than ever to have brand messaging baked into your content and referenced by others.

• Voice And Tone Become Strategic Assets: AI assistants are increasingly reading content aloud or paraphrasing it in chat. That makes your brand voice part of the user experience. Clear, confident and accessible messaging is now a performance driver.

• Being Referenced Is The New Ranking: Your brand doesn’t have to appear in the top three search results anymore to be influential, meaning the playing field has been leveled. If LLMs mention you, quote you or use your data in their responses, you’re winning the new visibility game.

• Linkless Influence Is Real: AI generated answers often summarize content without crediting the original link. This means recognition is becoming as valuable as traffic.

Expand Your Strategy For The AI Era

As the internet evolves from pages and queries to prompts and conversations, businesses need to evolve with it. GEO is not about abandoning SEO or your other tools for brand visibility. It’s about expanding your strategy to ensure your brand remains discoverable, quotable and trusted in a world increasingly mediated by AI.

It’s time to feed the LLMs and control your brand narrative!

A press release is only useful if people see it — and these days, that includes AI systems that can ingest and reference your content.

That’s where EIN Presswire’s distribution reports come in. They show exactly where your news has gone, which media outlets and platforms are picking it up, and how far it’s reaching.

Now, with ChatGPT results added to EIN Presswire’s distribution reports, clients get an even clearer, forward-looking view of how their news spreads online.

Think of it like your report card in school — except our distribution network works to help you earn that “A” grade.

The new distribution report allows you to see not just traditional news coverage but also how AI systems like ChatGPT are using your content.

Why distribution reports matter

When you send a press release, it doesn’t just appear on Google News, Bing, or AP News.

Your story also reaches AI and machine learning tools that power search engines, digital assistants, analytics platforms, and news aggregators.

These systems use your content to answer questions, create summaries, and generate recommendations. In other words, your press release now plays a role in the online conversation.

What is a distribution report?

EIN Presswire’s distribution report shows exactly where your release was published. You’ll see links to major news sites, industry publications, and social media platforms.

After your release is distributed to online platforms, the report appears on the “my press releases” page. Reports are available in HTML and a PDF, which you can download.

By clicking on “sample distribution report” on our website, you can see examples of how ChatGPT has summarized a client’s release. It is complete with backlinks to the original content.

Curious how far your release reaches? EIN Presswire’s syndication network draws more than 150 million unique visitors each month, giving your news search visibility, media exposure, and direct access to journalists.

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Client: My Home Pathway
Industry: Prop-tech / Financial inclusion

The Challenge

For diverse and mission-driven businesses, visibility is about more than recognition. It creates access, trust, and opportunity. My Home Pathway needed a clear way to connect its mission-driven story to audiences and partners who could drive real change.

The Solution

EIN Presswire provided a corporate distribution package that allowed My Home Pathway to:

• Craft Clear Messaging – Simplifying complex housing issues into consumer-friendly insights.

• Secure High-Impact Placements – Including AP News exposure that boosted credibility.

• Reframe Assumptions – Challenging myths about risk and opening pathways to homeownership.

• Strengthen B2B Outreach – Sharing press releases directly with banks and organizations to spark more productive conversations and partnership opportunities.

  The Results

  

  Within a series of press releases, My Home Pathway achieved:

  • Consumer Clarity – Cutting through noise to help homebuyers understand options.

  • AI Visibility – By consistently using press releases, company announcements appeared in AI search results, pulling information from the releases.

  • Barrier Reduction – Using storytelling to dismantle misconceptions in housing finance.

  • Stronger Partnerships – Press releases served as credibility tools in B2B settings, helping initiate warmer conversations with banks, real estate groups, and social impact programs like Chime’s Changemakers.

  • Amplified Mission Impact – Each release reinforced that homeownership can be accessible, sustainable, and equitable.

    ---

    Client Testimonial

    “Housing is one of the most complicated products from a consumer standpoint. Press releases cut through some of that noise so people understand their options.” — Castleigh Johnson, Founder & CEO, My Home Pathway

    ---

    Key Takeaways

    • Press releases are not outdated; instead, they remain a powerful way to build trust and credibility.

    • Press releases serve as valuable sources of information that AI systems utilize in generating search results.

    • For diverse businesses, PR serves as both a consumer education tool and a B2B relationship builder.

    • Consistent exposure helps turn visibility into opportunity by driving conversations, resources, and measurable social impact.
      

      Ready to amplify your mission like My Home Pathway?

      
      👉 Utilize EIN Presswire's distribution service to make your story heard and turn visibility into opportunity.

      Subscribe now

    
    

Did you know press releases today do more than just land media coverage?

They now help your content show up in two places that matter most: search engines and AI chatbots.

We break it all down in our new white paper with expert insights from the EIN Presswire team. From SEO basics to GEO strategy, we cover how press releases can boost your visibility across both search engines and AI tools like Gemini and ChatGPT.

Whether you're a small or mid-market business or a PR practitioner, this is a must-read for staying ahead in the search game — and in the search engine results.

Download the white paper here.

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Forget the overcrowded cities. Gen Z travelers are embracing a new trend in 2025.

Fueled by nostalgia, authenticity, and the quest for shareable moments, they’re swapping neon lights for quieter streets, slower paces, and more meaningful connections.

This shift offers a golden opportunity for public relations professionals in tourism to spotlight destinations that may not dominate international headlines, but consistently deliver memorable experiences.

Social media has become one of the strongest drivers of this movement. For Gen Z, platforms like TikTok and Instagram are more than just places to share vacation photos—they’re the starting point for trip planning.

In fact, a Forbes report shows that more than 80% of Gen Z travelers use their smartphones to research and book travel, often prioritizing places that feel “undiscovered” but still photograph beautifully.

The constant stream of travel inspiration has created a desire for experiences that stand out from the mainstream, pushing smaller cities into the spotlight.

Social media isn’t just influencing Gen Z’s travel decisions—it’s practically running the itinerary. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube are the new guidebooks, shaping where young travelers go, what they do, and even when they go there.

On TikTok, the hashtag #TravelTok has billions of views, with creators offering everything from “hidden gems” lists to budget-friendly itineraries. Instagram reels showcase aesthetic cafés, photo-perfect street corners, and curated day trips, often convincing travelers to visit spots they hadn’t considered before.

For Gen Z, seeing a destination through the lens of a real person—especially a peer—feels more authentic than a polished tourism ad. In many cases, one viral post can transform a little-known city block into a must-visit attraction overnight.

One of the most powerful TikTok trends driving this shift is the “hidden gems” challenge, where creators highlight under-the-radar spots in lesser-known cities.

These short, visually enticing clips often focus on hyper-specific details—a unique bookstore, a street mural, or a quirky coffee shop—that feel authentic and attainable.

Another trend, “day trips,” has boosted secondary cities located within a few hours of urban hubs. Cincinnati, for example, frequently appears in videos aimed at travelers based in Chicago, Nashville, or Columbus looking for affordable, photo-worthy escapes.

The “POV” travel trend, where creators film as if the viewer is experiencing the trip firsthand, also lends itself well to destinations like Cincinnati, where walkable neighborhoods and layered cultural experiences unfold naturally on camera.

Travelers often note the city’s welcoming atmosphere. Locals are quick to offer directions, share recommendations, and engage in friendly conversation.

Many visitors remark on the city’s affordability compared to major tourist destinations, with restaurant and hotel costs significantly lower than in cities like New York or Miami, making it ideal for budget-conscious explorers.

At the same time, the current economy has made travel a harder dream to realize for many college students.

Rising tuition costs, student loan pressures, and higher living expenses have left less income for big vacations. Long-haul trips to major international hubs may simply be out of reach, which makes affordable, closer-to-home destinations far more appealing.

Secondary cities offer the chance to explore without draining savings, and they often deliver just as much cultural richness as larger, pricier counterparts.

“As I was just in El Paso, I loved getting to see such a tight knit community and experience local and accessible events,” said Newsmatics intern Lilibet Kirwan. “Everything was so charming and friendly, I found a rugby team to play with, a jazz concert at a local bar, and discovered thrift shop gems.”

For students eager to travel but limited by finances, there are creative ways to make it happen beyond traditional vacations.

Study abroad programs, especially those with scholarships or exchange agreements, can open doors to immersive international experiences while still contributing to academic goals.

Even domestic study away or internship programs can provide the excitement of living in a new place without the full financial burden of independent travel.

Combined with weekend getaways to nearby cities like Cincinnati, these opportunities allow students to broaden their horizons without overextending their budgets.

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If you've ever planned a campus event, you know the drill: you lock in a date, book the space, make a flyer, post it to Instagram... and then only your roommate and one enthusiastic club member show up.

Promoting events in a crowded campus environment takes more than a flyer and good intentions. It takes strategy, storytelling, and a bit of creativity.

The good news? You don’t need a big budget to make a big impact. With a few smart moves and some well-timed effort, you can turn a low-budget event into a high-traffic success. Here’s how to promote your next event like a PR pro.

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Start With the “Why”

Before you jump into promotion, be clear on the why of your event. What problem does it solve? What experience are you offering? Is it fun, educational, or both?

Students are busy and overwhelmed with choices, so your promotional materials should make it crystal clear why this event is worth their time. Make your messaging specific, not generic. “Free food and career advice from pros” lands better than “Join us for an exciting opportunity!”

Identify Your Audience and Meet Them Where They Are

Not every student needs to hear about every event. Tailor your outreach to your target audience.

If your event is focused on PR or media, your audience might be students in communications or business programs. Use class lists, Slack channels, or group chats to reach them directly.

For more general events, tap into high-traffic areas like the student center or dorm lobbies. Don’t forget to ask professors if you can give a 30-second pitch at the beginning or end of class.

Use Social Media, but Use It Smart

A single post on your club’s Instagram won’t cut it. Create a mini campaign with multiple posts leading up to the event.

Use countdowns, behind-the-scenes teasers, or short video clips explaining what to expect. Tag relevant campus accounts and partners to increase reach.

Encourage your organization members to reshare, comment, or post their own stories. For major events, consider creating a custom hashtag or adding a filter with your design on Instagram stories.

Leverage Word-of-Mouth and Peer Influence

Sometimes the best promotion is personal. Word-of-mouth still drives turnout, especially when students hear about events from friends they trust.

Equip your members with a quick elevator pitch and ask them to talk it up in their classes, dorms, and group chats. Peer-to-peer invites feel authentic and can make the difference in turning interest into attendance.

Collaborate for Amplification

Partner with other student organizations, academic departments, or campus offices to help promote the event.

This cross promotion not only expands your reach but also increases credibility. For example, if you’re hosting alumni, ask the Office of Alumni Affairs to co-sponsor or share it in their newsletter.

If it’s a career panel, connect with Career Services or related majors to plug it in their weekly emails.

Don’t Underestimate the Power of Visuals

Even without a graphic design background, you can create eye-catching materials using free tools like Canva.

Stick to one or two fonts, bold colors, and clear calls to action. QR codes linked to RSVP forms, calendars, or event pages are also a must since they reduce friction and make it easier for students to act on the spot.

Follow Up and Show Up

Promotion doesn’t stop once someone hears about your event, you want to remind and re-engage.

Send calendar invites, schedule day-of reminders on social media, and post quick updates like “Happening today!” or “Last chance to RSVP!”

On event day, take photos and short videos for post-event content. These not only boost future attendance but also show your organization in action, which is helpful for recruiting and securing funding.

You Don’t Need Big Money, Just Big Intention

Promoting a successful event isn’t about how much you spend. It’s about how well you communicate.

With a thoughtful message, targeted outreach, and consistent reminders, your next event can be more than a meeting, it can be a moment.

So plan it like a pro, promote it like a storyteller, and watch the RSVP list grow.

In today’s digital world, cancel culture isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a serious risk to the reputation of brands, influencers, and even student leaders.

Social media moves fast, and Gen Z expects more from the people and companies they follow. One mistake can quickly turn into a public crisis. But does being “canceled” mean it’s the end?

Not always. Public relations professionals know that how a brand responds in the first 24 hours to a crisis can make a difference. More importantly, PR plays a crucial role in reshaping the conversation from cancellation to accountability and even redemption.

Media training and public relations skills are essential during cancel culture because the way a spokesperson communicates in moments of backlash can either rebuild trust or make the situation worse.

Statements must strike the right balance between accountability and brand protection, ensuring that apologies are meaningful, not performative. That’s exactly where PR pros come in.

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Crisis Communication in the Age of Cancellation

Cancel culture functions as a form of public accountability, but for brands, it often arrives like a crisis: sudden, public, and emotionally charged.

The speed of online outrage means PR teams must work in real time to assess the situation, craft a message, and engage with the public without sounding defensive or dismissive.

That’s where strategic crisis communication becomes essential. It’s not just about cleaning up a mess, it’s about recognizing the harm, acknowledging responsibility, and beginning to rebuild trust.

Crisis plans today must include protocols for digital backlash, influencer missteps, viral misinformation, and most of all: how to actually say sorry. As a student, now is the time for college students to take communication classes so proper communication skills come in handy as soon as the time comes.

Saying Sorry Isn’t Enough: What Gen Z Wants from Apologies

Gen Z doesn’t accept the classic “we’re sorry if you were offended” approach. This generation values authenticity and expects apologies to come with action. A real apology means addressing what happened, naming who was harmed, and outlining steps for change.

Too often, PR statements rely on tired phrases:

• “This does not reflect who we are.”

• “We’re taking this very seriously.”

• “We are committed to doing better.”

These statements may check the corporate box, but they rarely satisfy a public demanding transparency and sincerity. Gen Z can tell the difference between damage control and genuine accountability and they respond accordingly.

The PR of a Comeback

Despite the name, cancellation doesn’t have to be permanent. Some of the most high-profile figures who were “canceled” have slowly re-emerged with stronger messaging, revised brand identities, or meaningful behavior change. But these comebacks don’t happen by accident, they’re often guided by a long-term PR strategy.

Redemption in the public eye requires more than a rebrand. It takes consistency, humility, and letting actions—not just words—speak. For example, Logan Paul is a famous YouTuber who has experienced cancel culture when it first arose.

Posting a highly insensitive YouTube video in the Aokigahara forest in Japan, faced crucial backlash that led to a rebrand. Paul removed the video, issued apologies, took a break, then shifted to more mature content (including a popular podcast). He rebranded as a boxer and business co-founder of Prime energy drink.

From Cancel Culture to Accountability Culture

Here’s the truth: most people aren’t rooting for failure. What they really want is acknowledgment, growth, and accountability. That’s why many in the PR world have started shifting the conversation from cancel culture to accountability culture.

It’s a more productive, human-centered approach. It encourages brands to own their mistakes, listen to feedback, and make changes that align with their values and their audiences. For Gen Z in particular, accountability isn’t just expected, it’s respected.

Where PR Comes In

PR isn’t just about putting out fires anymore. It’s about fostering honest dialogue between brands and their communities. In the age of cancel culture, the role of public relations has never been more critical or more complex.

Today’s PR pros must be quick thinkers, strong listeners, and ethical storytellers. When done right, public relations doesn’t just salvage reputations, it helps build stronger, more self-aware brands. Because in the end, it’s not about avoiding cancellation.

It’s about showing up with clarity, integrity, and a willingness to grow. In an era where perception spreads faster than facts, strong communication skills aren’t just helpful, they’re a brand’s first line of defense.

In the fast-paced and evolving world of communications, having a passion for public relations is not enough.

As brands evolve and compete for attention, PR professionals are expected to be more strategic, data-savvy, and adaptable than ever before and must bring more than charm and a polished press release to the table.

For students preparing to enter the workforce, understanding which skills truly matter to employers can help them stand out before they even step into an interview.

Write with Purpose and Precision

Writing is still a non-negotiable of public relations, but the expectations go far beyond spelling and structure.

Professionals are expected to write clearly, concisely, and with versatility across formats—from social media captions to media advisories.

To strengthen your writing, contribute to the campus newspaper, manage social media for a student organization, or even start your own Substack. Try writing press releases, email pitches, or bios and have them reviewed by professors or professionals in your network.

Organizations such as the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) offer programs that help strengthen your writing, such as the FINN Partners for Diversity. Personally, my writing skills were strengthened through my role as a student communications specialist, where I have drafted and published more than two dozen articles for my Campus’ Communications and Brand Management office.

The more formats you practice, the more confident and flexible your writing becomes.

Think Like a Strategist

Strategic thinking is one of the most sought-after abilities in modern public relations. Employers want team members who understand the bigger picture, can align campaigns with business goals, and adapt messaging for different audiences.

To build this skill, students should get involved in planning communications efforts through student organizations like PRSSA or class campaigns. For example, help your PRSSA chapter or other student organization build a campaign that will overall increase membership by a certain percentage.

Break down that goal with strategic tactics and go further by presenting that campaign to build your confidence. Taking the lead on a small-scale initiative, whether it’s for a club or a local nonprofit, helps you see how and which tactics support certain objectives.

Ask questions like “Why are we doing this?” and “What change are we trying to create?” That’s how you start thinking like a strategist. . Don’t be afraid to fail. Failure = Opportunities to grow and learn.

Master the Digital Landscape

In today’s digital landscape, fluency in social media isn’t just a bonus—it’s a necessity.

Employers value candidates who understand how to build a brand’s online presence, analyze engagement data, and tailor content for different platforms.

Students can build these skills by receiving free social media certifications or through campus social media jobs. Running social channels for an organization or personal brand is also a great way to experiment with content strategy, scheduling tools, and audience engagement in real-time.

Know How to Build Media Relationships

Another core skill is media relations. Knowing how to craft a pitch and connect with journalists and editors is essential in both agency and in-house settings.

Students can get ahead by learning how to research media contacts, understand news values, and write compelling email subject lines. Enroll in a media writing course, subscribe to public relations industry newsletters such as EIN Presswire, and study successful pitches.

If your school has a student-run agency or PRSSA chapter, ask to be involved in media outreach efforts—you’ll gain confidence here as well while learning what works.

Stay Calm, Stay Organized

Employers are also looking for people who thrive under pressure. Public relations is often unpredictable, with shifting deadlines, last-minute changes, and high-stakes moments.

Time management, adaptability, and problem-solving skills are all essential in this environment. Students can build these skills by managing multiple responsibilities—balancing school, internships, and extracurriculars teaches you to stay organized and flexible.

Tools like Google Calendar can help you keep everything on track while developing project management habits.

Don’t Fear the Data

Finally, data literacy is becoming a must in the world of PR. Whether it’s campaign results, audience behavior, or media reach, employers want to see that you can gather insights and apply them strategically.

You don’t have to be a data scientist, but you should know how to use tools like Google Analytics, social media metrics, and pull together basic reports. If your university offers access to media monitoring platforms, take advantage of it—and if not, seek out free analytics tools online and practice interpreting the numbers behind your own content.

Show What You Know

The key to mastering these skills is not waiting for permission. Start small. Test things out. Seek feedback.

Build a resume that doesn’t just say what you can do, but shows it. When employers review your application, they’ll be looking for more than potential—they’ll be looking for proof.

And with the right experience and initiative, you’ll be ready to pitch yourself just as effectively as you would any client or campaign.

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