Why isn’t your press release getting any coverage?

In this solocast, On Top of PR host Jason Mudd dives into why most press releases fail and how to craft news releases that capture attention, clicks, and engagement.

Tune in to learn more!

Watch the episode here:

5 things you’ll learn during the full episode:

1. Five reasons your news release isn’t getting coverage
2. Understanding the move from “press releases” to news releases
3. Common mistakes that cause press releases to be ignored
4. How to write headlines and content that attract attention and clicks
5. Adopting an audience-first mindset to make your news releases effective

Listen to the episode here:

Quotables

• “A journalist or reader is asking, ‘Why should I care?’ ‘Why now?’ and ‘Why does this matter now?’ And if you don't answer that in the first few lines of your pitch or your news release, you lose that audience.” — @jasonmudd9
• “Safe content doesn't get shared; it gets ignored.” — @jasonmudd9
• “Your content now competes in search, AI, and social feeds. Structure matters. You need clear headlines, direct language, and answer-driven content.” — @jasonmudd9
• “Shift your mindset from ‘What do we want to announce?’ to ‘What would someone care [about], click, and share?’ Define your audience, validate your angle with data, and write like a journalist.” — @jasonmudd9
• “Coverage isn't requested; it's earned. It starts with how you think about the story before writing.” — @jasonmudd9

If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to share it with a colleague or friend. You may also support us through Buy Me a Coffee or by leaving us a quick podcast review.

Resources

Guest’s contact info and resources:

• Jason Mudd on X
• Jason Mudd on LinkedIn
• Listen to more episodes of the On Top of PR podcast.
• Find out more about Axia Public Relations.
• Axia Public Relations resources
• 1:1 consultations and training with Axia
• 10 2026 press release tips marketers aren’t going to like

Additional Resources:

• What's the difference between press releases and public relations?
• What’s the difference between newswire and press release distribution wire agencies?
• How press releases are powering generative engine optimization and answer engine optimization
• 3 elements of an effective news release
• 11 tips to craft engaging press release headlines
• Should you use a commercial newswire for news release distribution?

If you like this episode, you're going to love this:

• Earned media-first PR
• Rethinking press releases with the rise of AI
• The dirty truth about ‘guaranteed media coverage’

Recorded: March 28, 2026 

About your host Jason Mudd

Jason Mudd is a nationally recognized public relations expert featured by CNN, Entrepreneur, Forbes, NPR, The New York Times, PRWeek, and The Wall Street Journal.

Named North America’s top PR leader by the World Communication Forum, he serves as CEO of Axia Public Relations — recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Best PR Agencies.

Jason has advised some of the country’s most admired and fastest-growing companies, leading campaigns for iconic brands including American Airlines, Budweiser, Dave & Buster’s, GE, H&R Block, Hilton, HP, Miller Lite, New York Life, Pizza Hut, Southern Comfort, and Verizon.

He’s also a professional public speaker, accredited PR practitioner, published author, entrepreneur, and host of On Top of PR with Jason Mudd — a podcast ranked among the top 3% globally by Listen Notes and a top 100 marketing podcast on Apple Podcasts. His guests have included leaders from Disney, Mall of America, Priceline, Southwest Airlines, Tyson Foods, and Wells Fargo.

Find more On Top of PR episodes on: 

Transcript

00:00:00 - 00:00:41
Jason

Hello and welcome to On Top of PR. I'm your hostJason with Axia Public Relations. And today we're talking about why your press release isn't getting any coverage. Basically, why isn't your press release getting any coverage? You wrote it, you distribute it. You might have even paid to put it on a newswire. So why is no one picking it up, sharing it, or even clicking on it? That's what we're going to explore today. If this is happening to you, the issue probably isn't distribution, although that's a big one, and we should dedicate another episode to that topic soon. It's how you're thinking about the story in the first place that I think is the hurdle for most organizations and most practitioners today. I'm gonna walk you through what's actually going wrong and how to fix it.

00:00:41 - 00:01:27
Jason

This episode is for marketing leaders, marketing directors, marketing chiefs, as well as public relations practitioners. I'm here today to help you sharpen what you're doing and make this work well for you. This is a solo cast episode, so it's just me. There's not a guest today. We do this every fifth episode, giving me an opportunity to share with you some of my insight on public relations, strategic communication, storytelling, content creation, and more. So let's. First, let's set the table. Is it called press release or is it called news release? Before we get too far, I want to align on this language. Most people say press release. It's a common term used by maybe by consumers or business people. But the press really isn't the audience anymore. The media is mostly digital. Audiences are fragmented.

00:01:27 - 00:02:15
Jason

I will tell you, when I was an intern, I was pitching a TV station and the very curmudgeon, cynical assignment desk editor there, or assignment desk manager, he told me I could send my damn press release to the press. They were a TV station. And that I should probably correct the way I'm using that terminology. Guys, that was like 30 years ago and almost. And I've never forgotten that. So at one point, AP Style or the Associated Press style book said that news releases were preferred. I heard they changed that or dropped that. But either way, the media is mostly digital. Audiences are fragmented. And your content doesn't go to journalists. It now goes directly just to journalists. It now goes directly to search engines, AI platforms and your customers directly.

00:02:15 - 00:03:06
Jason

So that's why the profession, journalists and media relations professionals prefer the term news release. And you should too, unless you're doing it using that term strictly for optimization purposes. And then like search engine optimization, for example. And then maybe you want to intertwine the keyword press release, just like we're doing here, but because what we're doing is publishing a story into an information ecosystem, not just to newsrooms. And if your story isn't built for that environment, it gets ignored. So let's jump back in. We see this all the time. A marketing team issues a press release, or company issues a press release about a product launch, a partnership or a company milestone. They expect coverage. Instead, nothing happens. Crickets. No media pickup, no meaningful traffic, no engagement. Then they assume, okay, the media didn't care. We need better distribution.

00:03:06 - 00:03:54
Jason

In reality, the problem started much earlier because the real problem is your press release. Your news release is not built for the audience. Most news releases are written for the company. It's written for the CEO, it's written for the executives, it's written maybe for shareholders, or just whatever the company wants shared. And I understand you have to please your internal customer, your internal client, your boss, your leadership team, et cetera. But then don't call it a news release. If you're trying to appeal to that audience, call it what it is in that particular case. Instead, most press releases are not written for the audience, for the journalist, for the reader, and not for the algorithm. And that's why they fail. Let's walk through the key reasons.

00:03:54 - 00:04:36
Jason

So today we're going to talk about five reasons your news release isn't getting coverage. But by the way, we have a full list of 10 and growing. But today we're only focusing on five. We'll give you a link to check out all five later in this episode. All right, so number one, you lead with what you want to say, not what they want to know. Most press releases start out with company X is excited to announce. Yeah, that's not the story. That's an internal update. A journalist or reader is asking why should I care, why now, and why does this matter now?

00:04:36 - 00:05:18
Jason

And if you don't answer that in the first few lines or the first line perhaps of your pitch or your news release, you lose that audience. So here's a hypothetical example. A staffing firm announces a new recruiting platform. A better angle would be how employers are reducing time to hire by 30% using this new recruiting approach. That is much more relevant to an audience. Step two is your headline wasn't built for clicks or discovery. Your headline does two jobs: earn the click and get found in search and AI results.

00:05:18 - 00:06:01
Jason

Most headlines fail at getting attention. They fail at earning clicks and getting found in search and AI results. They're either too vague or self-promotional. You should be pressure testing your headlines using tools like Google Trends. Look at how people already search, look at trends, and align your headline with that behavior.

00:06:01 - 00:06:51
Jason

If no one searches for it, no one clicks, then nothing else really matters. The third issue is assuming distribution creates demand. Putting a news release on a wire doesn't create interest, it only creates availability. If the story isn't strong, wider distribution just means more people ignore it.

00:06:51 - 00:07:42
Jason

If you are a major brand, you may have beat writers covering you. If not, you're competing in a crowded environment. Your announcement must stand out. Mistake number four is writing for internal approval instead of external impact. Safe content doesn't get shared, it gets ignored.

00:07:42 - 00:08:33
Jason

You need clarity and specificity, not more adjectives. Follow journalistic structure like the inverted pyramid. Stop writing for executives and start writing for the audience.

00:08:33 - 00:09:25
Jason

Your content now competes in search, AI, and social feeds. Structure matters. You need clear headlines, direct language, and answer-driven content. SEO and generative optimization should be built in from the start.

00:09:25 - 00:10:17
Jason

Shift your mindset from what do we want to announce to what would someone care, click, and share. Define your audience, validate your angle with data, and write like a journalist.

00:10:17 - 00:11:07
Jason

A news release is a news story, not a marketing brochure. If it reads like marketing, it won't get coverage. Media relations is about earning attention in a competitive environment.

00:11:07 - 00:11:51
Jason

A news release isn't always required to earn coverage. Some of the best results come from direct outreach and conversations. Also, the best headlines often don't include your company name.

00:11:51 - 00:12:30
Jason

Your company name may not appear until the second paragraph. Research shows better pickup when the focus is on the news, not the brand.

00:12:30 - 00:13:20
Jason

Focus your headline and lead on the actual news. You can find more tips by searching for the article mentioned in the episode notes.

00:13:20 - 00:14:14
Jason

These principles apply long-term. Coverage isn't requested, it's earned. It starts with how you think about the story before writing.

00:14:14 - 00:15:09
Jason

Focus on audience-first communication. Take your last release and rewrite the headline and first paragraph with that mindset.

00:15:09 - 00:15:48
Jason

If this episode was helpful, share it with a colleague. Thank you for your support and for helping us grow.

00:15:48 - 00:16:32
Jason

Leave a review on your favorite podcast platform and send a screenshot to us. You'll be entered into a monthly drawing. Thank you so much for your support. I hope something great happens to you today. Be well.