10 Press Release Mistakes That Kill Your Media Coverage

Last updated: March 2025

You spent hours writing your press release. You hit send. And then nothing happens. No journalist replies. No media coverage. No phone calls. If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. The vast majority of press releases sent every day are ignored, and the reason is almost always one of the same ten mistakes.

The good news is that these mistakes are entirely fixable. Once you know what to avoid, you can dramatically improve your chances of getting media coverage. In this guide, we break down the 10 most common press release mistakes and show you exactly how to fix each one.

The 10 Mistakes That Destroy Your Media Coverage

1. Writing a Boring Headline

Your headline is the gatekeeper. If it does not immediately capture a journalist's attention, your press release will never be read. Yet most press release headlines are forgettable, vague or stuffed with corporate jargon. Headlines like "Company Announces New Product" or "Brand Continues Its Commitment to Innovation" tell the journalist nothing and give them no reason to click.

How to fix it: Write your headline as if it were a news article title. Be specific, use active verbs and include the most compelling element of your announcement. Numbers, data and concrete facts make headlines stand out. Instead of "Tech Startup Launches New Platform," try "AI Startup Cuts Press Release Writing Time by 70% With New Platform." Test your headline by asking: "Would I click on this if I saw it in a news feed?"

2. Having No Clear News Angle

A press release without a genuine news angle is just a corporate announcement that nobody cares about. Journalists are looking for stories, not advertisements. If your press release reads like a brochure, it will be deleted instantly. The most common version of this mistake is sending a press release about something that only matters internally, like an office move, a minor website redesign or a vague "rebranding."

How to fix it: Before writing, answer this question: "Why would a reader who has never heard of my company care about this?" If you cannot answer it in one sentence, your announcement may not be newsworthy. Find the external impact. Connect your news to a larger trend, a customer benefit or a market shift. If there is no external angle, consider a blog post instead.

3. Making the Press Release Too Long

Journalists receive dozens, sometimes hundreds, of press releases every day. They do not have time to read 1,500-word announcements. Long press releases signal that you do not respect the journalist's time and that you cannot identify what is actually important. Most journalists will scan the headline and first paragraph. If those do not hook them, the rest does not matter.

How to fix it: Keep your press release between 400 and 600 words. This is enough to cover the essential information without padding. Every sentence should add new information. If a paragraph does not directly support the news angle, cut it. Use our press release templates to see the ideal length in practice.

4. Forgetting to Include a Quote

A press release without a quote feels incomplete and impersonal. Quotes are essential because they provide the human element that journalists need. A good quote gives a journalist a ready-to-use statement they can drop directly into their article. Without one, you are making the journalist work harder, and that means they are more likely to skip your story.

How to fix it: Include 1 to 2 quotes in every press release. The first quote should come from a company executive and provide perspective on the announcement. If possible, add a second quote from a customer, partner or industry analyst for third-party validation. Write quotes that sound like a real person talking, not like marketing copy. Avoid phrases like "We are thrilled to announce" or "This is a game-changer for the industry."

5. Targeting the Wrong Audience

Sending your fintech press release to a food and beverage journalist is a waste of everyone's time. Yet mass blasting to unfiltered media lists remains one of the most common PR mistakes. It not only fails to generate coverage but actively damages your reputation. Journalists remember who sends them irrelevant pitches, and they start ignoring everything from that sender.

How to fix it: Build a targeted media list of journalists who actually cover your industry and your type of news. Read their recent articles. Understand their beat. A press release sent to 50 carefully chosen journalists will outperform one sent to 5,000 random contacts every single time. Tools like PressPilot's journalist targeting help you find the right reporters by industry, topic and location.

6. Sending at the Wrong Time

Timing can make or break your press release. Sending on a Friday afternoon, over a holiday weekend or during a major breaking news event means your release will be buried in a journalist's inbox. Most journalists are at their busiest on Monday mornings, sorting through the weekend backlog, so that is also a poor time to send.

How to fix it: The best days to send press releases are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The best times are between 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM in the journalist's local time zone. Avoid sending on days when major industry events, holidays or predictable news cycles (like earnings season) will compete for attention. Check the news calendar before scheduling your release.

7. Missing Contact Information

You would be surprised how many press releases arrive with no way for the journalist to follow up. Some include only a generic company email like info@company.com. Others provide a phone number that nobody answers. When a journalist is interested in your story and cannot reach a real person quickly, they move on. Your window of opportunity closes within hours, sometimes minutes.

How to fix it: Always include the full name, direct email address and phone number of a real person who can respond to media inquiries. This person should be available and responsive in the 48 hours following the press release. If possible, include a backup contact as well. Make it as easy as possible for journalists to reach you.

8. Overloading With Jargon

Technical jargon and industry acronyms alienate journalists who are not specialists in your field. Even beat reporters who cover your industry regularly will tune out if your press release reads like an internal engineering document. If a journalist has to look up words to understand your news, you have already lost them.

How to fix it: Write at a level that an intelligent person outside your industry can understand. Explain technical concepts in plain language. Spell out acronyms on first use. Use analogies to make complex ideas accessible. Have someone outside your company read the press release and flag anything that is unclear. The goal is clarity, not complexity.

9. Not Following Up

Sending a press release and hoping for the best is not a strategy. Journalists receive so many emails that even a well-written press release can get lost. A lack of follow-up means missed opportunities. At the same time, overly aggressive follow-up (three emails in two days) will get you blocked.

How to fix it: Send one follow-up email 2 to 3 business days after the initial press release. Keep it to 2 to 3 sentences. Briefly restate the news and ask if they would like additional information or an interview. Do not follow up more than once. If the journalist is not interested, respect that and move on. Building a long-term relationship matters more than getting coverage on any single release.

10. Ignoring SEO

Many companies treat press releases purely as journalist outreach tools and ignore the SEO opportunity. In 2025, your press release can drive organic search traffic for months or even years after publication, but only if it is optimized. Press releases published on your website or through online distribution services without SEO consideration are leaving traffic on the table.

How to fix it: Include your primary keyword naturally in the headline, sub-headline and first paragraph. Use related keywords throughout the body. Add links to relevant pages on your website. Write a compelling meta description. Structure your press release with clear headings that search engines can parse. Read our complete press release SEO guide for detailed optimization strategies.

A Quick Checklist Before You Hit Send

Before sending your next press release, run through this checklist to make sure you are not making any of these mistakes:

• Is the headline specific, compelling and under 80 characters?
• Does the first paragraph answer Who, What, When, Where and Why?
• Is there a clear news angle that matters to people outside your company?
• Is the press release between 400 and 600 words?
• Does it include at least one quote from a real person?
• Are you sending it to journalists who actually cover this topic?
• Are you sending on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday morning?
• Is there a real person's name, email and phone number for media contact?
• Is the language clear and free of unnecessary jargon?
• Have you planned a single follow-up for 2 to 3 days later?
• Is the press release optimized for search engines?

Stop Making These Mistakes Today

Conclusion

Every press release you send is an opportunity to get your story in front of journalists and earn valuable media coverage. But only if you avoid the mistakes that cause most press releases to fail. A boring headline, no news angle, wrong targeting, poor timing and missing contact information are the reasons journalists ignore the majority of what lands in their inbox.

The fixes are straightforward. Write compelling headlines with specific facts. Lead with a genuine news angle. Keep it concise. Include real quotes. Target the right journalists. Send at the right time. Make yourself easy to reach. Follow up once. And optimize for search engines.

Apply these fixes to your next press release and you will see a measurable improvement in your response rate. For even better results, use PressPilot to combine professional writing with intelligent distribution. Your story deserves to be told. Make sure journalists actually read it.