The News Release Is Not Dead

Looking at the latest Cision "State of the Press Release" report for 2024, I'm struck by how press releases continue to defy the "dying medium" narrative that's been floating around for years. The data tells an interesting story – one that might surprise the digital-first zealots who've been predicting the death of traditional PR tools.

I think what's most fascinating here is the clear disconnect between perception and reality. While many industry pundits have been writing obituaries for the press release, 74% of journalists are actually asking for more of them. Even more telling, 93% of PR pros plan to either maintain or increase their press release output. This isn't just survival – it's thriving.

Taking a step back, I see two major narratives emerging:

The press release is evolving rather than dying, becoming part of a more sophisticated multichannel strategy. We're seeing 92% of professionals repurpose their releases across other platforms – this isn't your grandfather's wire service approach anymore.

The industry is at an inflection point with AI adoption. Only 26% are currently using generative AI, but there's a larger group (42%) sitting on the fence, watching and waiting. I suspect we'll see this number spike dramatically in the next 12-18 months as the technology matures and success stories emerge.

What I find particularly telling is where professionals are struggling. The top challenges – creating engaging content (38%) and reaching the right audience (25%) – aren't new problems. They're the same issues that have plagued PR for decades. The tools have changed, but the fundamental challenges haven't.

Here's where I think things get interesting: the data around optimization. The industry has finally moved beyond gut feelings to actual metrics. We now know that headlines between 51-75 characters perform better, and that action verbs like "reveal" and "unveil" outperform the tired "announce." This is the kind of practical intelligence that can immediately impact results.

But let's be honest about the elephants in the room:

1. Shrinking newsrooms mean fewer eyeballs on releases, no matter how well-crafted they are

2. The AI adoption rate seems surprisingly low given the potential efficiency gains

3. While 51% "always" include multimedia, that means nearly half aren't consistently meeting modern journalism's visual needs

Looking ahead, I don't believe the press release is going anywhere – but I do think we're going to see a dramatic evolution in how they're created and distributed. The combination of AI assistance and multichannel distribution strategies suggests we're entering a new era of PR efficiency.

What keeps me skeptical is the lack of concrete ROI data. While the report shows promising trends, it's notably light on hard numbers about campaign success rates. I'd love to see more specific metrics about how these optimized, AI-enhanced, multichannel releases perform compared to traditional approaches.

One final thought: the timing data (peak engagement Tuesday-Thursday, 10 AM-4 PM) feels almost too neat. In an increasingly global media landscape, I wonder if we're being too rigid with these traditional windows. Maybe it's time to challenge some of these long-held assumptions about "optimal" timing. Especially considering the rise of automated news aggregators and 24/7 digital newsrooms that don't follow traditional publishing schedules.