Ever spent ages working on a press release to have nowhere pick it up?
Or emailed a newsroom with what you thought was an amazing story, only to be met with radio silence?
With fewer reporters than ever, and so much competition when it comes to what’s included in the media, it’s important to make sure your pitch stands out from the crowd when it lands on newsroom desks.
As the Midlands PRCA Medium Consultancy of the Year, we are used to delivering results for clients.
Our PR team is made up of experienced journalists and editors, who know a thing or two about what to look for when it comes to a good story and how to turn that insider knowledge into media coverage.
Here are some of our top tips for writing and pitching a story that journalists will want to use.
What makes a good press release?
Press release format
Keep pictures out of your word document!
If a journalist wants to copy and paste from the attachment, pictures can slow down the process.
It can take a quick copy and paste job to a five or ten minute one, which is enough to put off a reporter on a busy news desk.
Pictures should always be included – preferably in JPEG format – as attachments which can be downloaded, and not in the press release copy.
Photo captions
If you have under ten people in a picture make sure you include the names and titles of each one.
News outlets have their house styles on whether to include these, but ensuring they are provided saves a follow-up email and slowing down the process of a release being featured.
Struggling to find the right image to go with your story?
Take a look at the royal free image sites and other handy websites in our guide to free PR and social media tools.
Watch your language
While each title has their house style, which your press release will be edited to suit, there are some changes that will make your copy more journo and reader friendly.
When talking about land sizes try not to use hectares or acres – instead, convert your figure to the number of football pitches it would cover.
This is something done by many publications as it is easier for the reader to visualise.
Make sure you also include the official size in acres or hectares, just in case the title would rather use these.
When it comes to explaining figures keep it simple.
It’s very rare that a decimal point in a percentage will make a huge difference, so instead of 57.4 per cent, instead just write 57 per cent.
This is especially important in number-heavy press releases, which can be difficult to follow at the best of times!
Keep it simple
A basic one, but something that’s often forgotten when you know the ins and outs of your business – keep it simple!
Always assume the reader and journalist has no idea what it is you do, and keep explanations to the point when writing a press release.
Nothing is more frustrating for a busy journalist than having to research jargon used across different sectors, and this can make or break whether a press release becomes a news story.
How to distribute a press release – and get results
Timing is key
Think about when you’re going to send out your press release, and most importantly, will the reporter have time to read it properly?
First thing in the morning is generally the best time for your release to land on desks as journalists are organising their priorities for the day.
The afternoon is often busier, with reporters chasing leads which have come about during the day, so your release is less likely to get a thorough read-through after lunch.
If you’re contacting a media outlet which also has a print edition check when this is and make allowances for deadlines, which are the busiest times of the day or week for print titles.
Research the right person to send your release to
The editor is a given but also check out what topics reporters like to cover.
If there’s a journalist who has lots of articles about specific subjects and might be interested, then get in touch with them too!
How to get your press release picked up
Think of the first thing a reporter will see
The email subject line is a journalist’s first introduction to your work.
It needs to sum up why it’s of interest, and why they should use it in their news outlet.
With hundreds of emails dropping into a reporter’s inbox each day, the sad truth is there’s often not time to open them all.
If the subject line doesn’t scream ‘open me!’ there’s a good chance it will be moved straight to the bin.
Make it easy
You’ve nailed the subject line and your email has been opened.
Keep your hellos and intro brief, there’s only one real thing that the journalist needs to see – your press release to make sure it’s of interest.
Copy and paste your release into the email body after your sign-off for ease of reading.
If the reporter decides it’s newsworthy they will likely want to make their own edits, like changing copy to house-style or moving quotes around.
They can copy and paste from here with ease, without needing to open attachments, which can come with its own struggles like compatibility.
Of course, the press release should also be included as an attachment, so the reporter can use whichever press release format they would prefer.
Bump your half page copy to a double page spread
If it’s a quiet news week or if papers are being pre-planned over bank holidays, editors often keep their eyes peeled for a quick win.
If you’ve got some great extra pictures to accompany your press release, make sure you let the reporter know.
Attach a few of the best ones to the email copy, but offer to provide more if requested, or send additional images via a file transfer link.
You never know, it could turn your article into a picture spread!
Do you want to make your PR campaign stand out in 2026? Get in touch to find out how our PR, SEO and social media marketing specialists can help.
