Sentinel InsightsDo press releases still work?When they help, when they don't, and what to do instead.

The short answer to “do press releases still work” is yes, for a narrower job than most people expect. A press release works when it carries real news to journalists who already cover your field, and when it hands them the facts, quotes and assets they need to write a story quickly.

Press releases don’t work as a substitute for pitching, a link-building trick or a way to buy coverage. Sending a release over a paid wire puts it on syndication sites and in newsroom feeds. It doesn’t make an editor write about you. The brands that still get results from releases treat them as one tool inside a wider media plan.

What a press release is for

A press release is a short, factual announcement written in news style, with a headline, a dateline, the key facts in the opening paragraph, a quote and contact details. It exists to make a journalist’s job easier. Everything in it should be something a reporter could lift, check and use without calling you first.

That job hasn’t changed in decades. What has changed is the route a release takes to a reader. Fewer journalists cover more beats, inboxes are fuller, and a wire posting on its own rarely turns into a story. The release is still the reference document. The pitch is what gets it read.

What journalists say about press releases

Journalists still want them. In Cision’s 2025 State of the Media report, based on a survey of more than 3,000 journalists across 19 markets, 72% named press releases as the most useful resource PR teams can offer. That figure surprises people who assumed the format was dead.

The same Cision report found that 86% of journalists will reject a pitch straight away if it doesn’t fit their beat or audience. Put the two findings together and the lesson is plain. A release is welcome when it reaches the right person with news that fits their readers. Sent to everyone, it’s noise.

Cision also reported that pairing a release with multimedia raises its impact. Photos, a short clip, a chart or a one-page fact sheet give a reporter more to work with, and they make your story easier to run on a busy day.

When press releases still work

Releases earn their place when the news is concrete and someone outside your company has a reason to care. Good candidates include:

• Funding, acquisitions and senior hires that trade and business press track as a matter of routine.
• Product launches with a clear date, price and availability a reporter can quote.
• Original research or survey data that gives a journalist something new to cite.
• Formal disclosures, such as results or material updates, where a public record matters. Disclosure rules apply in finance and other regulated sectors, so check with your advisers first.
• Partnerships and events that local, trade or community titles list.
• Statements during a crisis, when you need one authoritative version that every outlet can quote.

When press releases don’t work

Most disappointing release results come from the same handful of mistakes:

• Announcing something that isn’t news. A website redesign, a new blog series or a minor feature update rarely interests an editor.
• Treating a wire posting as coverage. Syndicated copies on partner sites are paid distribution. Reporting them as press coverage misleads your own team.
• Using releases for links. Syndicated copies seldom carry the authority people hope for, and keyword-stuffed anchor text can look manipulative.
• Sending to thousands of contacts. Big lists mean most recipients don’t cover your topic, which is exactly the pitch most journalists reject.
• Burying the news. If the first sentence is about how proud the company is, the reader has already moved on.

Wire distribution vs pitching

Wire services and direct pitching do different jobs. Here’s how we explain the difference to founders who ask whether to pay for distribution:

Before Sentinel launched, the team wrote and distributed more than 15 press releases for brands in five industries, through paid wire distribution. The habit we kept from that work is simple: we call wire distribution what it is, a paid route, and we label it as paid in every client’s coverage log. Coverage a journalist chooses to write from the release is labelled earned.

How to write a press release that gets used

A release that works reads like the first draft of a news story. Use this checklist before you send one:

1. Lead with the news in one sentence. Who did what, and why it matters to the outlet’s readers.
2. Answer the basics early. Who, what, when, where and why belong in the first paragraph, with no adjectives standing in for facts.
3. Write one quote that says something. An opinion, a reason or a consequence. “We’re thrilled” tells a journalist nothing.
4. Include facts a reporter can check. Dates, prices, availability, locations and the source of any data.
5. Attach assets. High-resolution images, a short video, a fact sheet and a named spokesperson who can talk this week.
6. Keep it short. One page is usually enough. Background can live on your newsroom page.
7. Give contact details that get a same-day reply. Deadlines don’t wait for a shared inbox.

Then pitch it. Pick a small list of journalists who have covered similar news in recent months, write each one a short note on why the story fits their readers, and attach or link the release. Offering one outlet an exclusive can work better than sending it everywhere at once.

Press releases and AI search

AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity build answers from sources they can find and trust. A clear, dated release on your own newsroom page gives them a factual record of names, dates, products and figures. That helps them describe your company accurately.

Coverage a journalist writes from that release carries more weight, because it’s an independent source choosing to mention you. For AI visibility the release is the fact sheet, and earned coverage is the endorsement. You want both.

A release gives journalists the facts. A pitch gives them a reason to use them.

What to do instead, or as well

If your news is thin, a release won’t fix it. These routes often work better:

• Expert commentary. Offer a sharp, quotable view when your field is in the news. Our Digital PR work leans on this heavily.
• Data-led stories. A small, well-designed survey or analysis gives journalists something new to report.
• Exclusives and interviews. One strong feature in the right outlet can beat a dozen syndicated copies.
• Labelled sponsored placements. When you need a confirmed slot in a specific publication, pay for it openly and label it. We explain how paid, placed and earned media fit together on our How We Work page.

If you’d rather hand the writing off, our press release writing service covers drafting, assets and a pitch plan. For a refresher on the difference between earned and paid coverage, read what is earned media.

When you have news worth sharing and want it in front of the right editors, our Media Placement service plans the release, the pitches and any labelled paid placements as one campaign.