Are Press Releases Still Effective? Latest Stats and Trends (2026)
You’ve probably sent a press release, watched it disappear into someone’s inbox, and wondered if you’ve just paid for a polite form of shouting into the wind. The truth is you can still get real results, but the rules have changed and a ‘spray and pray’ approach wastes time, money, and credibility. We’ve always known this at Scott Media and we have never, in 19 years, used that approach.
Many PR agencies consider their time as more important than that of their clients. They use databases to ‘mass send’ press releases to a data base of journalists and will often sell this ‘amazing opportunity’ with phrases like ‘we can reach 400 journalists’ without telling a client that 395 journalists won’t be interested as the press release isn’t relevant to them. It sounds like a ‘slam dunk’ for anyone who would like publicity but actually it damages the reputation of both the agency and the client. After all you are ‘spamming’ 395 journalists who are not interested. Hands up who likes loads of irrelevant spam!!
There’s nothing wrong with a well-written press release which is a story. It still has the same validity it has always had. It’s information. What matters is who you send it too and, we know at Scott Media, that less is more. Always.
In Are Press Releases Still Effective? Latest Stats and Trends, we’ll show you what effectiveness looks like in 2026 and 2027 and how you can use releases as part of a visibility plan that actually moves the needle. We’ll be straight with you about what works, what doesn’t, and what you should measure so you can justify the effort internally (or to yourself).
Key Takeaways
Press releases remain effective in 2026 when integrated into a broader visibility strategy.
Targeted media lists outperform mass distribution, combining local, trade, and specialist contacts for better engagement.
Measure success through relevant coverage quality, backlink authority, and tangible business impact over a 12 month timeframe.
Budgeting for press releases should prioritise strategy, quality content, precise targeting – however avoid persistent follow up, only natural follow up – it’s a real red flag to a journalist if you keep hassling them. That’s the epitome of bad practice. Remember if you are not paying for the space, you have zero right to insist your story is used. Zero.
What “Effective” Means For Press Releases Today:
A press release is a source of information which is more effective if it reads like a story and is sent to the right places. Aim for around six to ten media outlets at most. If asked by a national journalist for more information, an historic press release is a useful way to provide that background information. Unless you know a national journalist might be interested in a particular story – don’t send a press release to them because it will disappear in a sea of other vanilla stories. Also send it to them first – most national journalists want exclusivity. We often put a time line on this of say one week maximum – as freelancers need time to pitch.
Generally a press release for national press is a huge waste of time. For these opportunities build relationships and watch what those journalists are doing, introduce yourself and your clients and, if asked to provide more information, be very clear what your client can talk about with a background information about your business. You can also then nudge that journalist if a story arises where your client has credible comment to make. We call this newsjacking.
There are some exceptions to this – often this will relate to data led stories which have a credible regional or national angle such as statistics relevant to the country, surveys of more than 500 customers/people. Survey led stories at a national level need to be credible with a full survey with all questions available for a journalist to cherry pick beyond the press release. Other exceptions might be that your client is a FTSE 100 company with 1000s of employees, national business journalists will probably want to keep abreast of the news of the biggest companies in their country – not the many 1000s who are SMEs.
What it doesn’t mean is a guaranteed flurry of headlines, a viral moment, or instant trust after one announcement. We see the same pattern again and again: organisations expect a release to do the work of positioning, messaging, and demand generation. A release can support those things, but it cannot replace them If you want some no-nonsense advice around this book a Scott Media’s PR Power Hour.
Latest Press Release Stats And Digital PR Trends Shaping 2026
If your inbox feels louder than ever, you’re not imagining it, and journalists aren’t either – our founder Fiona Scott still gets around ten press releases a day and most are irrelevant to her for her journalistic writing around business in Swindon and Wiltshire. They get deleted. In the last week she’s had one about a business in Dorset, one about an overseas award of a company she’s never heard of and is not in her patch and one which is just dull as ditchwater.
Here are the practical stats and trends shaping 2026 planning especially for small teams who can’t afford wasted effort:
Press releases are not going away. Around 93% of comms professionals plan to send the same or more press releases year-on-year and journalists especially in local and online and specialist press still ask for them routinely. That tells you the format still has a role, even as the delivery changes.
Digital PR teams rely on releases and pitching more than before. Recent industry surveys place press releases at roughly 79–85% adoption among digital PRs, up from the low 70s previously. The implication is simple: they help create relevant content for journalists or online influencers yet it’s up to them to use them as they see fit.
Multimedia is increasingly important – roughly 88% of PR pros use multimedia (images, video, audio, or graphics) to increase pickup. You must include an image which is relevant and often, depending on the story, access to a range of images. Video also is increasingly being asked for.
AI search rewards clear sourcing and repeatable facts. A good story or press release must include a named spokesperson, a precise number, a date, and a verifiable claim. This makes them more searchable – not less.
Don’t treat journalists as if they are stupid – so often PR agencies start a press release with the phrase ‘press release’ as if a journalist is stupid. Do you write ‘email’ at the top of every email, or ‘leaflet’ at the top of some printed marketing asset? Journalists may be busy, they may be infallible humans but they are often highly educated and they don’t need to be told what they are reading. They will often delete anything which suggests otherwise.
Where Press Releases Win Offering Credibility, Coverage And Control
When something important happens in your business and you need the public record to be clear, a press release is still one of the simplest tools you can use. Think: funding secured, senior hire, major partnership, safety notice, annual results, an investigation response, or a regulated update. In those moments, you are putting accurate information in one place.
Credibility: Journalists, stakeholders, and even potential clients use a well-written release gives them names, dates, locations, and a quote they can attribute. For example, if you launch a community programme, a reporter can lift your confirmed numbers (budget, target reach, start date) without a long back-and-forth.
Coverage: Releases still help when they are connected to a real story. A local employer announcing 30 new roles can matter to regional business desks, but only if you include detail like salary bands, timeline, and what prompted the growth. A charity announcing a new service can get traction if you include a case example, sometimes anonymous but preferably not, a waiting-list figure, and a vision of the future.
Control: You cannot control what a journalist writes, but you can control the information you send to them. That becomes essential in crisis situations, where inconsistent wording creates extra headlines. If crisis planning is on your mind, it helps to work with a team that has seen both sides of the newsroom. Scott Media’s approach is built around that mindset, and it sits within the wider ways of working with Scott Media when you need support beyond a one-off announcement.
Where Press Releases Fall Flat: The Most Common Reasons They Don’t Deliver
If you have ever felt like your release achieved nothing, there is usually a specific, fixable reason behind it. The painful part is that most of those reasons sit before you hit send.
1) The news is important to you and your team but not to anyone else – a new logo, a refreshed website, refurbished office is not a story. Unless there’s something unusual or quirky about it.
2) The copy reads like an advert – journalists and editors can smell sales copy instantly, and they will ignore or refer you to their advertising team.
3) The release goes to the wrong people. A mass list might feel efficient for you but it’s a spam tactic. If you email 300 journalists and 290 of them cover something else, your domain and your name get remembered for the wrong reason. A list of up to 10 relevant contacts beats volume.
4) There is no asset beyond the release. A modern pitch often needs one extra thing: a photograph, a short expert comment, a customer case study a link to a relevant video.
5) Endless follow ups – a natural follow-up which is specific and respectful can work but multiple follow ups are off-putting and rude.
Distribution That Works Now – Think Targeted Media Lists, Newswires and Owned Channels:
1) Targeted media lists (the highest return for most SMEs)
Build a small list you can actually maintain. Aim for local/regional, trade/industry, and specialist writers (including newsletter authors and podcast producers).
2) Newswires (useful for future research by journalists you don’t know and for SEO)
A wire can make sense if you need scale, compliance, investor visibility, or a formal announcement trail. They work well for SEO and they are useful resources for journalists looking for your expertise in the future.
3) Owned channels (where you control the outcome)
Owned channels are a guaranteed asset. Post on your website site, turn the key points into a LinkedIn post, share a short founder video, and send it to your email list with a clear call to action (download, register, enquire).
Costs, Budgets, And Expectations: What Good Press Release PR Typically Requires:
A good release is not expensive because of the document: it is expensive because of the thinking, targeting, and knowledge that is around it.
What you are really paying for
Strategy and angle selection: choosing a story that fits your goals and your audience (and saying no to weaker angles).
Writing and approvals: clean copy, a credible quote, and fast sign-off so you do not miss the moment.
Media list building: research that avoids irrelevant contacts and protects your reputation.
Asset creation: images, a data point, a short case study.
What budgets often look like in practice:
Industry surveys suggest around 60% of digital PRs operate with under £7,000 month, and roughly a quarter with under £3,000/month. For a small business, that translates into a choice: do fewer, higher-quality campaigns per year, or build a lighter monthly rhythm that you can sustain. Working with us on one-off stories will cost about £1,000 plus VAT per story as a baseline.
Set expectations that protect you:
Expect momentum, not miracles. A realistic window for meaningful impact is often six to 12 stories a year.
Expect to contribute. You will need access to facts, spokespeople, and decisions.
Expect fit to matter. Not every business is PR-ready, and not every story deserves a release.
If you want to sanity-check whether your story, timing, and capacity stack up before you spend money, the simplest next step is a direct conversation with us.
Conclusion
Press releases are still effective in 2026, but only when you treat them as part of a wider visibility system: clear news value, credible facts, targeted outreach. If you want credibility, control, and a reliable public record, a release remains one of the best tools you have.
Your next best move is simple: pick one objective (enquiries, partnerships, recruitment, trust), build one strong angle with proof, and distribute it deliberately across media and your own channels. When you do that, a press release stops being a gamble and becomes a repeatable asset.
Frequently Asked Questions About Press Release Effectiveness in 2026
Are press releases still effective in 2026?
Yes, press releases remain effective in 2026 when used as part of a broader visibility strategy.
What defines an effective press release today?
An effective press release today results in credible coverage leading to brand awareness. Success means journalists use it as a verified source, trade titles may link to your site, or it boosts brand recognition in your market niche or relevant geographical area.
How should I structure a press release to maximise its impact?
Use a clear headline detailed body with proof points, an authentic quote, a boilerplate about your organisation, and single-point media contact. Add multimedia like images or video to enhance pickup.
What are common reasons press releases fail to deliver results?
Failures often stem from weak news value, copy that sounds like advertising, targeting the wrong journalists, lacking supporting assets or just badly written with a non-story. Better planning and targeted outreach help avoid these issues and improve impact.
How can press releases support SEO and digital PR in 2026?
Press releases can aid SEO by being published on your website with descriptive URLs, linking to relevant pages, featuring a named expert, consistent branding, and including media with proper alt text. They help build authoritative backlinks and visibility in AI-powered search results.