Why we now hate press releases

April 04, 2025

We’re never, ever writing or sending a press release ever again. Ever.

They’re just so old fashioned. They’re too long and boring. No-one reads them. They no longer fit into the way the media works.

We’re starting to hear this a lot. But here’s a controversial statement: we don’t believe this to be true or right.

In fact, news of the death of the press release is wildly premature.

If you are being indoctrinated by the anti-press release brigade, here are the counter arguments to at least some of the points.

We don’t have time to get a press release signed off.
Actually the sign off process can unify your comms team around a message and engage senior leadership. It could even help clarify your announcement internally.
Journalists want ready-to-go content. They don’t have time to wade through press releases for angles.
This is true and it’s why the press release must be written FOR journalists. To help them. The idea is to make the copy as compelling as how it should appear in the press.
It’s an outdated method of communications.
In the age of misinformation and over-information, journalists are looking for a ‘truth source’. A press release doesn’t need to be your lead form of communication with the public, but it can provide the facts and evidence and help them how to discover more.
It’s better to ditch a press release and replace it with a blog post.
This can work but our experience shows when journalists are genuinely interested in your news, they will ask more questions, one will usually be ‘can I see the press release?’ And a press release can also protect the journalist, as it is covered by qualified privilege, providing it’s in the public interest, accurate and is free from malice.

So, press releases are important – and could become even more vital in years to come, no matter how 20th Century they might feel.

July 11, 2023

March 25, 2025