Not All News Is Press Release Worthy (And That's Okay)

Not all news is created equal

Not long ago, I was working with a brand that requested a press release. I wrote a draft, minus some quotes from a C-Suite executive that I would need, and sent it over to the team to review.

They sent me feedback that baffled me. They accused me of using AI for the press release.

Well, first of all, no. I don't need to use AI to write a press release, and I didn’t use it. I have worked in PR and communications professionally for years, have an advanced degree in PR, and can't even begin to count all the press releases I've written or assisted with. To be blunt, I can write a simple press release without assistance from AI.

Apparently, that team cited some AI detector that they ran my work through, which is a tool that is notoriously unreliable. 

I did defend myself, citing the reasons above as to why they were simply incorrect in their accusations. But I also told them the truth; traditional press releases are extremely formulaic. They have a specific layout, information to include, and structure. Frankly, they also frequently look and sound "boring" and usually lack personality. I'm sure that the press release was flagged as AI in their unreliable detector, because when written correctly,  it doesn't really sound like someone speaking with a "voice."

The definition and purpose of a traditional press release, now more commonly referred to as a “news release,” and what it includes (and doesn’t include) has been buried under the sheer number of ways brands can now inform their audiences. I probably don’t need to include the ways, but I will: social media, YouTube videos, short-form videos (TikTok), influencer partnerships, blogs, and podcasts. It’s really great that there are now so many ways brands can connect with their public. 

Brands not as well-versed in traditional PR might immediately go for a press release. They sound impressive, exciting, and “legit.” But I think the primary issue facing many organizations is knowing when and how to present this information, and what is most effective.

Truly, sometimes, the best way is not a press release. 

Writing for Journalists, Not Customers

You run an organization, and you want to make a newsworthy announcement. The key here, and a word I cannot stress enough, is newsworthy. If you don’t take anything else from this, remember, the audience of a press release is the media. Full-stop. That’s why press releases are so formulaic and structured. You are presenting the information to the media in the most bare-bones kind of way. The reason for such strict guidelines is due to the journalists/media reps who, remember, are your audience. They will then take the information contained in the release and rework it into a story they’re writing. 

Here is an example of how a release is structured and the type of information the media expects a release to include.

Let me come back to my previous statement of “newsworthy”. When your brand is debating whether to write a release, you have to ask yourself: Will your audience care? Is your announcement important enough to appeal to them, the media? 
This is often a difficult question to both ask yourself and answer honestly. Of course, it’s your company, you care, and the news is important to you. But you really need to take an objective view. Is this release going to contain information that your audience, the media that presumably reports on your field, finds interesting?

I also want to make a point before I forget. When you’re writing a press release its also important to refrain from being too promotional in your content. It’s news, it's not an advertisement.

6 Types of Press Releases (And When to Use Them)

This brings me to my next point: How do you decide what subject matter makes a good press release?

First, decide on the type of news release you’re writing. The list below isn’t exhaustive, but it does give a good overview.

1. Announcements
   These are the most common types of release and are used to give advance information on an activity or progress on something that’s already been announced.

2. Response
   Comment on events, ideas, or a previous report and provide follow-up information. Perhaps you’re trying to get ahead of a crisis situation or provide a positive message that reiterates an organization’s values and commitment to social responsibility.

3. Product
   These releases provide details and specifications for a new product, an upgraded product, or a product recall. These releases often include photos of the product, when relevant. 

4. Staff announcement
   Changes to staffing, like a new hire or promotion. These can also include a bio of the employee and a headshot.

5. Expert Positioning
   This is to showcase the organization as subject matter experts. But it shouldn’t be general; the release should focus on a report, stats, or results of a case study or a recent success. Remember, there needs to be a point to the release. 

6. Event
   Obviously, this focuses on an upcoming event and should highlight the who, what, where, when, and why. 

If these sound kinda of boring, well, yeah, they might be. Or at least they might be boring to read to your customers or random people online. But that is not who you are writing these for. At the risk of repeating myself too many times, but I’ll say it once more: releases are for media to take the information, digest it, and include the info you’ve provided in their own stories or reporting.

So we know you shouldn’t be too promotional, too long, or include details that wouldn't be relevant to the media or something they’d be interested in. But what are the alternatives to a press release?

Tada! The perfect solution is a blog! You have more freedom in content and the ability to be as promotional as you’d like. A well-written blog is also a way to create content for social media, by breaking down information and posting over a series of days or even weeks.

This post is already too long, so we can go more into the basics of a blog another time.