<1% (almost no) press releases are read and used by the media: Building your own media reach is the most effective solution, but how?
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Prefer Xpert.Digital on GoogleⓘPublished on: January 28, 2026 / Updated on: January 28, 2026 – Author: Konrad Wolfenstein
Less than 1% (almost no) press releases are read and used by the media: Building your own media reach is the most effective solution, but how? – Image: Xpert.Digital
Press releases vs. own media reach: The paradigm shift in corporate communications
Why are less than one percent of all press releases used by the media?
The traditional press release is in a profound crisis, the causes of which are multifaceted. At the heart of the problem lies a fundamental shift in the media landscape and the way journalists work. Studies by leading PR metrics providers such as Cision and Muck Rack consistently show that the reach of unselected mass mailings is below one percent – often even lower.
The figures for the open rate of pitch emails already reveal the first problem: On average, open rates are below 20 to 30 percent. This practically means that 70 to 80 percent of all press releases are deleted based on the subject line alone, without the content ever being read. The reason is simple: Journalists receive hundreds of press releases every day. In large newsrooms, this number can even reach thousands. Given this deluge, it is impossible for a single editor to check every single release.
Even if an email is opened, this does not automatically lead to its processing or use. The conversion rate – that is, the rate at which the press release is actually reported on – is around one percent or less for mass mailings. Only exclusive, highly relevant, or exceptionally well-prepared content makes it into editorial planning. Journalists have learned to be selective. Today, they tend to use press releases more as background information or as a starting point for their own research, not as a direct basis for reporting.
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What exactly is meant by the classic “watering can principle”?
The "watering can" approach describes the traditional method of sending press releases to as many media contacts as possible simultaneously – without significant selection or personalization. The idea was: the more recipients the message reaches, the higher the chance of coverage. In practice, however, this strategy hardly works anymore.
The problem is that journalists immediately recognize this mass approach. An impersonal or only minimally customized email signals: "This is a broadcast to hundreds of newsrooms simultaneously." For a journalist, this is worthless. They know that the information wasn't researched specifically for them and their particular publication. They also know that every other newspaper, every other online channel receives the same information – so there's no exclusive advantage for their report.
This simultaneity is disastrous for journalistic work. In an era where exclusivity is highly valued in the media industry, the scattershot approach sends the opposite message. Therefore, journalists routinely filter out such emails – often without even reading them. This approach may have worked in the past, when the media landscape was more fragmented and each outlet had its niche. Today, with digital channels permeating everything and news being shared in real time, the scattershot approach is not only inefficient – it's counterproductive.
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How many journalists even read press releases anymore?
The answer is more nuanced than a simple yes or no. Journalists do read press releases – but under very specific conditions. The key lies in selectivity and relevance.
An experienced journalist has long since built up a network of trusted sources and PR contacts. They use these strategically. They are more likely to open and read a press release from a PR manager with whom they have had a good working relationship in the past than an anonymous mass email from an unknown mailing list. This means: relationships are more important than ever.
At the same time, journalists today often use press releases only as a secondary source – as a starting point for their own research, not as a finished narrative. A journalist might read a press release about a new product and then speak with customers, interview experts, and write an independent story. The press release then serves as a teaser, a catalyst – but not the story itself.
There's also a new type of journalist who works even more actively with press releases: online editors at smaller publications or news aggregators. They're under time pressure and publish more content per day. For them, a well-written, ready-made press release can save time. But here, too, readers' expectations of quality drop when it's obvious that a news item comes directly from a press release.
What costs arise from ineffective press release work?
The cost analysis is remarkably unfavorable for the traditional PR method. Let's start with the direct costs: Writing, editing, and sending press releases takes time – and time is money. A carefully researched and written press release can easily consume two to four hours of a PR employee or agency. Added to this are the costs for distribution software or PR distribution services like PR Newswire, easyPR, or Cision, which are charged monthly or per mailing.
For a company that regularly sends out press releases – say two to four per week – this adds up to considerable expenses: conservative estimates range between €2,000 and €5,000 per month for technical distribution alone, plus the time spent. Extrapolating this to a year and considering that less than one percent of this effort results in actual media coverage, the inefficiency becomes immediately apparent.
But the hidden costs are even more serious. The reputational damage caused by a company sending out masses of impersonal or irrelevant press releases is difficult to quantify, but it's real. Editors who receive useless emails from a company several times a week mentally label it as "unprofessional" or a "scam." This damages the long-term relationship.
The opportunity costs are also considerable. The time a PR manager spends writing and sending out press releases that aren't read could have been used for more strategic tasks: building relationships with journalists, researching current industry trends, or – and this is the crux of this discussion – building their own media reach.
Why is the classic press release outdated from a strategic perspective?
The press release was a 20th-century invention, optimized for the media landscape of that era. It was the instrument for bringing news to the general public – but only if media companies passed it on. The press release was always a tool of external placement: A company tried to persuade a third party (journalist/media outlet) to disseminate a specific message.
In a world with the internet, search engines, and social media, this model has become obsolete. Today, every company can speak directly to its target audience – without gatekeepers. A company no longer needs to hope that the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” will report on its new product. It can publish a high-quality article itself, optimize it for SEO, have it included in Google News, and thereby achieve the same or even greater reach.
The strategic overhaul, therefore, consists of this: instead of relying on external media power, companies build their own. This isn't new – large corporations like Siemens, Deutsche Telekom, and Daimler have long operated high-quality corporate publishing platforms. But for many small and medium-sized enterprises, this paradigm shift has not yet been completed.
Another strategic reason: Press releases are short-lived. They're considered outdated after 24 to 48 hours. A well-written, SEO-optimized article on your own website, on the other hand, generates traffic for years. A company that publishes an article today on "How to Use AI in Logistics" will still be able to use that article two years from now for search engine rankings, AI searches, and as reference material. The press release would have been long forgotten.
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How exactly does building your own media reach work?
Building a relevant media reach follows a clear structure. First, it's important to understand that this is not the same as simply "having a corporate website." Many companies have websites – but few have genuine media reach. The difference lies in editorial quality, search engine visibility, and authority as an information source.
The first step is creating a clear editorial structure. A company must see itself as a specialist publication – not as an advertising department that produces content. Specifically, this means that the content must be informative, solution-oriented, and written according to journalistic standards. A logistics company, for example, could establish a "newsroom" that reports daily on developments in automation, the use of AI in warehouses, or new regulations – not just on its own products.
The second step is technical optimization. Search engines and AI systems need structured content. This means: Schema.org markup for news articles, fast loading times, mobile-first design, and a clean information architecture. Only then will algorithms understand that a website is a trustworthy news source.
The third step is actively registering with Google News and other news aggregators. Google News isn't automatic – a website must register and meet editorial standards. However, this is feasible even for small and medium-sized businesses. Being included in Google News not only brings additional traffic but also signals trustworthiness to the Google algorithm as a whole.
The fourth step is distribution. A company must build its own traffic through newsletters, social media, and other channels. This is more work than mass-mailing press releases – but also significantly more effective. A newsletter with 10,000 qualified subscribers is more valuable than a thousand journalists, 99 percent of whom don't read the press release.
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What role does SEO play in building media reach?
SEO – Search Engine Optimization – is the foundation of any modern media reach. The reason lies in user psychology: people actively search for information. A company whose website ranks highly in relevant search results will automatically receive more traffic and more attention.
SEO is even more important for journalists. When a journalist is researching a topic – let's say "automation in German logistics centers" – they use Google. If a company's website ranks first or second on Google for that topic, the journalist will automatically find the company. They could then not only report on the company but also cite it as a source and expert.
This is completely different from the classic PR model: Instead of actively searching for a journalist and hoping that they will read the press release, the company waits until the journalist actively seeks information – and then finds them because they are optimally visible.
SEO works in the long term. An article optimized for a specific keyword today can generate traffic for five or ten years – as long as the information remains relevant. That's a huge difference compared to a press release with a shelf life of 24 hours.
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What does “Google News” mean and why is inclusion there so valuable?
Google News is aggregated news content from thousands of news sources worldwide, curated by Google algorithms. For readers, it's a central hub for news – a kind of digital news magazine. For news sources, inclusion in Google News is a huge advantage.
First, Google News brings massive traffic. A website that's included in Google News and publishes an article on a popular topic can suddenly receive tens of thousands of visitors per day from Google News. That's exponentially more than the organic traffic from Google Search.
Secondly, inclusion in Google News is a signal of trust. Google checks a website's editorial standards, timeliness, and trustworthiness before including it in its news feed. A website accepted by Google News signals to other platforms, journalists, and readers: "This is a trustworthy news source." This trust bonus impacts all other channels—its image, partnerships, and perceived authority.
Third, Google News is strategically important for building link authority. Websites that are regularly linked to in Google News receive many high-quality backlinks. These backlinks, in turn, improve rankings for other keywords and boost overall SEO performance.
For a company that wants to position itself as a media outlet and specialist source, Google News is therefore not optional – it is a central element of the strategy.
How does artificial intelligence change the requirements for media reach?
Artificial intelligence is radically changing the media landscape. The new Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) systems – services like ChatGPT Search, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, or Claude – function differently than traditional search engines. Instead of simply providing links to websites, these systems generate answers to questions themselves, based on information from numerous sources.
This has massive implications for visibility and media reach. A traditional website that is only visible on Google Search can be completely invisible in AI search results. This is because AI systems need sources that are: a) technically structured and easily machine-readable, b) exude authority and trustworthiness, c) contain high-quality, factual information, and d) allow for official source citations.
A company that operates its own media platform with high authority will be cited as a reference in AI searches. The AI might say, “According to an article on [company's] website, the main trends in AI logistics are…” and provide a link. That's excellent visibility.
On the other hand, a company that only sends out press releases and has no original, indexable content will be invisible in AI searches. There's simply nothing for the AI to cite. This is a strategic risk that many companies still underestimate.
This also changes the requirements for content. AI systems prefer structured, factual, and verifiable information. Fluffy or promotional texts don't work. Only high-quality, editorial content is considered trustworthy and cited by AI systems.
What specific content should a corporate publishing platform contain?
An effective corporate publishing platform should include several content types that reinforce each other. The first type consists of in-depth, researched articles on industry trends, technologies, and challenges. For example, a mechanical engineering company could publish a comprehensive article monthly on “Trends in Industry 4.0”—not from a marketing perspective, but as a genuine technical analysis, with data sources and expert quotes.
The second type of content consists of industry news and short reports. A company could post news about industry-relevant events daily or several times a week – regulatory changes, new competitor products, research findings, market trends. This positions the company as an active industry observer and curator.
The third type consists of practical guides and how-to content. This answers frequently asked questions in the market. A logistics company might publish guides such as "How to Automat a Warehouse with Robotics" or "5 AI Applications in the Supply Chain." This content is highly relevant for search engines and AI systems.
The fourth type is data reports and analyses. A company that collects market data or conducts surveys can publish these as exclusive reports. This creates original, citable content that other media outlets can pick up and link to.
The fifth type consists of case studies and practical examples. If a company has successfully completed a project, it can report on it not as an advertisement, but as an objective case study – with figures, lessons learned, and challenges.
Such a variety of content types ensures that the platform is equally valuable for journalists, customers, partners and AI systems.
How does building media reach differ from traditional content marketing?
This difference is subtle, but strategically important. Content marketing is traditionally a marketing tool – it serves to reach, inform, and ultimately convert potential customers. Success is measured in conversions, leads, or sales.
Media reach is different. A true media platform isn't primarily optimized for conversions. It's optimized for trust, authority, and relevance. The metrics aren't leads, but visibility, citations from other media outlets, search engine rankings, and mentions in AI-generated search results.
Specifically, this means that a content marketing article might end with a call to action – “Get to know our product now” or “Download our checklist.” An article on a traditional media platform wouldn't do that. It would be like an article in a trade journal – informative and independent, without a direct sales agenda.
This is paradoxical: By not directly trying to sell, but instead providing genuine, valuable information, a company builds trust, which ultimately generates far more valuable conversions. A journalist who reads a series of high-quality analytical articles on a website will perceive that company as an industry leader – and will later recommend, quote, or report on it.
What competitive advantages arise from a strong media reach?
A company with established media reach has several strategic advantages that build up exponentially over time.
First: Independence from traditional media channels. It is no longer dependent on a newspaper reporting on it. It can communicate its messages directly and reach the same or a larger audience.
Secondly: Permanent visibility. An article published today generates traffic not only today, but for months and years to come. This cumulative effect leads to exponential reach compared to individual press releases.
Thirdly: Data sovereignty. All visitors to the company's own platform generate data that the company can use – via newsletter sign-ups, user behavior, and interests. This data belongs to the company, not to a newspaper or platform.
Fourth: Positioning as a thought leader and industry authority. A company that regularly publishes high-quality analyses is perceived by customers, partners, and the media as an expert and innovator. This has massive consequences for sales, partnerships, and investments.
Fifth: Control over the narrative. The company controls how topics are presented, which data is highlighted, and which perspective is represented. This is not possible with external media placement.
Why should a company start building NOW?
Time is a critical factor. SEO authority and establishing oneself as a news source don't happen quickly. It takes at least 6 to 12 months for a newly built media platform to achieve its first significant rankings in search engines and be considered by Google News. It takes 18 to 24 months for a website to build true authority and be frequently cited by other media outlets.
This means that a company that starts building today will be an established, trusted media source in two years – while other companies are still writing press releases that nobody reads.
Furthermore, the AI revolution is accelerating. In two years, Generative Search Engine Optimization and AI search will be significantly more established. Companies that don't have their own high-quality, indexable content by then will be virtually invisible on these new channels. This is a strategic risk that should be addressed now.
Media fragmentation is also progressing. Journalists are becoming increasingly specialized. A generic press release is becoming relevant to fewer and fewer newsrooms. A company that positions itself as a specialized trade publication for a specific niche becomes more relevant.
From press release to media platform
The facts are clear: Less than one percent of press releases are used by media outlets. The classic scattergun approach is inefficient, expensive, and strategically outdated. Building your own media reach – with SEO rankings, Google News presence, and AI visibility – is now the only sustainable solution for visibility and credibility.
This is not a passing trend. It is a fundamental realignment of corporate communications. Companies that have understood this shift and are acting now will have a tremendous advantage in three to five years over competitors who are still relying on lifeless press releases.
The good news: Building a media company is achievable for any business – large or small – with modern technology and a well-thought-out strategy. It doesn't require anything revolutionary. It requires journalistic quality, technical excellence, and perseverance. Those who implement these qualities become media companies. And media companies consistently achieve greater visibility, influence, and ultimately, economic success than companies that try to spread their messages through press release spam.
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