[EP04] PR in Korea: Press Releases Journalists Read — and Ones They Don't

PR Study for Beginners — EP04

In the last article, we covered what press releases are and walked through ten common types. This time, we're going a step further.

Even the most carefully written press release is worthless if it never gets opened — or if it gets opened but never turns into a story. That's why it helps to think of a press release not just as a "PR document," but as a product. One that has to earn attention, be easy to work with, and give journalists a reason to act on it.

So what actually separates a press release that gets picked up from one that gets ignored? Here are five things that make the difference.😊

1. The story — it starts with having something worth saying

ⓒ Unsplash

As we covered in the last article, some types of press releases naturally attract more interest than others. Product launches, financial results, and funding rounds tend to draw attention. Partnerships and CSR announcements, on the other hand, require more careful framing to land well. But regardless of type, the underlying story is what determines whether a journalist keeps reading — and it also shapes the headline almost automatically.

For a product update release, the key is whether users will actually feel the difference. For B2C products, that means visible, tangible improvements to the experience. For B2B, it means a clear competitive advantage. A vague UI refresh or back-end optimization, with no measurable impact, is hard to pitch as news.

For partnership or MOU releases, the question journalists ask is: Does this move the needle? That means either a clear path to measurable growth or a recognizable name that brings credibility. Sometimes the strongest strategic move is to highlight the partner's value rather than your own. Either way, a collaboration announcement without a clear "why" and a clear "what next" tends to disappear fast.

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2. The headline — the first decision happens in the inbox

Once you have a strong story, the headline is what determines whether anyone reads it. Journalists scan dozens of emails a day, and the subject line preview is often all they see. It doesn't need to be clever. It does need to be clear.

Take a financial results release as an example:

❌ "Company A Reports Q1 Revenue of $2M and Operating Profit of $100K, Driven by Product B"

✅ "Company A Doubles Q1 Revenue — Product B Strategy Pays Off"

Both versions have the numbers. But the second one leads with the growth story and raises a question the reader wants answered.

For event announcements, leading with a compelling topic or a notable speaker makes a real difference. A well-known name or a timely subject can drive both journalist interest and general attendance. Headlines like the one below are best avoided:

❌ "Looking Back on a Year with Company A — ABC 2026 Conference"

And this kind of subject line should never appear in a press release email:

❌ "Re: Press release distribution / coverage request"

A press release is not an internal memo. It's a pitch.

ⓒ Unsplash

3. The body — don't lose them after the click

Once the headline earns the open, the body has to deliver. The standard here is the inverted pyramid: the most important information first, supporting detail below. This matters because journalists typically adapt press releases into straight news format — and the inverted pyramid makes that process faster and easier. The longer it takes to extract the story, the less likely it is to get used.

Keep length in check. In most cases, around 400 words is the right target. Longer is not more thorough — it's just more work to edit.

Watch out for superlatives and vague claims: "industry-leading," "revolutionary," "best-in-class." These get cut in editing, and they dilute the credibility of everything around them. If your press release is heavy on adjectives and light on facts, the story that gets published may not be the one you intended to tell.

Also make sure the body delivers on what the headline promises. A sentence like "This product dramatically improves productivity at the lowest price point in the market" sounds strong, but if there's nothing behind it — no data, no specifics — it does more harm than good. Concrete numbers and verifiable facts are what make a press release usable.

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4. Images — missing visuals lead to missed coverage

Images are not optional. Online articles almost always run with a visual, and a press release without one is automatically harder to use. A company logo on its own is rarely sufficient, except in the case of disclosures or official statements.

What works: one or two clear images directly related to the announcement — a product shot, an executive photo, an event image, or a well-designed infographic. For partnerships, a signing ceremony photo tends to work well. For events, an agenda visual or speaker graphic fits naturally.

On resolution: images smaller than 400×400 pixels or those with a transparent background won't work as thumbnails. Include captions, and if people are pictured, make sure it's clear who is who.

5. Contact information — a small detail that signals a lot

The last thing to check before sending is the PR contact details. A press release is not a one-way broadcast. Journalists follow up, ask questions, and sometimes want to verify information quickly.

Best practice: include a name, title, email address, and a direct mobile number. In most professional PR contexts, sharing a mobile number is standard — not including one can read as a signal that you're not really open to conversation. It's also a natural way to exchange contact details and start building a relationship with a journalist.

A note: if the press release is being posted on a public newsroom or press page — rather than sent directly to journalists — an email address alone is acceptable.

Getting these five things right makes a real difference

Strong story. Clear headline. Tight body. Good visuals. Reachable contact. Those five elements, done consistently, meaningfully improve your chances of coverage.

If headline writing or lead paragraph structure is still unfamiliar territory, Pulitzer AI can help. It generates structured draft options based on your press release type, automatically optimizes the format, and lets you regenerate images until you're happy with them. Once your draft is ready, you can also request a review from a PR professional. 💡

Coming up next

In the next article, we'll cover press release timing and distribution — the best days to send, which channels work best, and how to build a strategy that gives your release the best possible chance of being covered. Pulitzer AI is rooting for you. 💪✨

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From press release writing to journalist outreach and media monitoring, Pulitzer AI helps streamline PR workflows. ➡️Try Pulitzer AI