White Paper: What Veteran Journalists Actually Look for in Press Releases in 2026

These days, the media environment is changing and moving at lightning speed. That’s why it’s important for anyone sending news to journalists to understand the inner workings of newsrooms.

One thing still stands: press releases remain a valuable tool to reach the media. But have you ever wondered how people working inside the newsroom actually perceive press releases?

EIN Presswire, the world’s leading press release distribution platform, spoke with veteran reporters and editors to get their insights on the factors that determine whether a news release is pursued, published or ignored.

You may remember our “Inside the Newsroom” Substack series, where each journalist shared their takeaways.

This time, we turned the full set of interviews into a new white paper designed to give communicators, businesses and brands a practical toolkit for building an effective media outreach strategy that captures the attention of journalists.

Inside the paper, you’ll find core findings from the interviewees, including the importance of researching a news outlet before sending a news release, and tailoring pitches to the reporter’s beat or coverage area.

And the journalists also point out that writing a news release following key guidelines for structure and content can really help improve your chances of a successful pitch.

Download the white paper here.