Inside the Newsroom: What Journalists Really Look for in Press Releases
Editors and reporters share tips on getting media coverage and what makes them read and reference a press release in a busy inbox
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?
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.
1. Local News Still Drives Coverage
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 tied 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. “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.
2. Know the Newsroom You’re Pitching To
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.”
3. Details Matter: Give Reporters the Pertinent Information
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 releases stand out.
“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.”
4. The Story Matters — and So Does Where You Send It
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 you still have to make the case in a way that shows it’s 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 truly interesting story, something actually newsy 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.
She 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.
5. Keep It Relevant to the Beat
Politics is one of the busiest areas of coverage for many reporters, and press releases often help them track developments, spot trends, or build out larger stories.
That’s especially true when a release touches on hot‑button topics within politics, said Mitch Perry, a veteran reporter covering politics who has worked in both TV and print, including Bay News 9.
“I’m a political reporter, so I like pitches that relate to public policy issues and stories about politics and/or elections,” said Perry, now a senior reporter for the Florida Phoenix. He noted that he also covers gun policy, the environment and other statewide issues, so releases tied to those subjects are far more likely to get his attention than something outside his beat.
Perry, who has covered politics and government in Florida for more than two decades, said the topic is the first thing he looks for — a release should connect “with something I’m familiar with.”
He added that strong quotes and a clear email subject line help a reporter quickly assess whether a pitch is worth opening. “Sometimes a reporter can be so busy that it’s great to have some quotes available right then and there,” he said.
Perry also appreciates when PR teams show they’ve done their homework. “I do get pitches by PR agents who have noticed that I have written on a particular subject, and reference that as a way to raise my interest,” Perry said.
What he doesn’t appreciate are mass‑forwarded emails blasted to every reporter in a newsroom. “I swear there are a certain number of folks who just blanket send messages to every reporter they know — regardless of what the reporter actually covers,” he said.
Still, Perry emphasized that press releases remain useful tools for political journalists. “Press releases have helped me write stories I wasn’t even thinking of, or can enhance a project I’m already working on,” Perry said. “So they are not a waste of time by any measure.”
6. Give Reporters What They Need to Do Their Jobs
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 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 release, responded quickly, granted a tour, and made business owners available for interviews. The other offered poor contact information, conflicting details, and no returned calls. “To this day, I still have not received any information,” he said.
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.”