GITNUXREPORT 2026

Press Release Statistics

Press release use surged in 2023, with wider adoption and multimedia becoming standard.

Alexander Schmidt

Research Analyst specializing in technology and digital transformation trends.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

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Statistic 1

27% media pickup rate for press releases sent to vetted lists.

Statistic 2

Product launch press releases achieve 41% average coverage rate.

Statistic 3

14% of wire-distributed releases appear in top 50 news outlets.

Statistic 4

Crisis response press releases gain 3x more backlinks within 24 hours.

Statistic 5

52% pickup in trade publications for industry-specific releases.

Statistic 6

National TV coverage from press releases averages 8% success rate.

Statistic 7

36% of releases picked up by Google News within 2 hours.

Statistic 8

Event announcements yield 29% higher pickup than standard news.

Statistic 9

61% local coverage for community press releases.

Statistic 10

Backlink value from picked-up releases averages $1,200 per story.

Statistic 11

23% international pickup for US releases with global angles.

Statistic 12

Executive hires announcements get 47% executive media pickup.

Statistic 13

19% share of voice increase post-press release campaign.

Statistic 14

Online-only outlets pick up 68% more releases than print.

Statistic 15

34% pickup boost from influencer quotes in releases.

Statistic 16

Award wins press releases achieve 55% coverage rate.

Statistic 17

12% syndication rate to 100+ outlets via wires.

Statistic 18

B2C releases get 2.1x consumer media pickup vs B2B.

Statistic 19

28% of releases lead to podcast or radio mentions.

Statistic 20

Peak pickup days are Tuesday-Thursday at 39% rate.

Statistic 21

45% coverage in niche blogs from targeted distribution.

Statistic 22

Merger announcements secure 67% financial press pickup.

Statistic 23

17% video press releases convert to TV segments.

Statistic 24

51% regional pickup for state-specific releases.

Statistic 25

Social shares from pickup average 450 per story.

Statistic 26

24% uplift in search rankings post-pickup.

Statistic 27

Partnership announcements yield 38% partner media coverage.

Statistic 28

82% of journalists prefer press releases under 400 words for quick reads.

Statistic 29

Only 19% of received press releases lead to immediate journalist interest.

Statistic 30

67% of reporters ignore press releases without personalized pitches.

Statistic 31

Local journalists engage 3.2x more with community-focused press releases.

Statistic 32

54% of journalists use press releases as primary source for 40% of stories.

Statistic 33

Embargoed press releases are respected by 91% of journalists.

Statistic 34

73% of journalists delete generic press releases within 10 seconds.

Statistic 35

Data-driven press releases receive 2.5x more responses from journalists.

Statistic 36

61% of journalists prefer releases with high-res images attached.

Statistic 37

Only 12% of press releases from unknown sources get opened by journalists.

Statistic 38

88% of journalists value exclusive tips over mass-distributed releases.

Statistic 39

Science journalists cite press releases in 45% of their health stories.

Statistic 40

69% of reporters share press releases internally before using.

Statistic 41

Press releases with expert quotes boost journalist reply rates by 34%.

Statistic 42

57% of journalists block PR senders after 3 irrelevant releases.

Statistic 43

Broadcast journalists use 28% of press releases for segment ideas.

Statistic 44

76% prefer HTML-formatted over plain text press releases.

Statistic 45

Trade journalists engage 4x more with B2B than consumer releases.

Statistic 46

63% of journalists follow up on releases with Q&A offers.

Statistic 47

49% ignore releases without social proof like backlinks.

Statistic 48

Weekend press releases get 71% less journalist opens.

Statistic 49

84% of investigative journalists rarely use corporate releases.

Statistic 50

Multimedia boosts journalist save rates by 52%.

Statistic 51

58% of journalists prefer subject lines under 50 characters.

Statistic 52

Foreign correspondents use 33% fewer US-originated releases.

Statistic 53

92% of journalists verify facts from press releases independently.

Statistic 54

65% of journalists report improved story ideas from targeted releases.

Statistic 55

63% of press release campaigns ROI measured via coverage volume.

Statistic 56

Average earned media value per press release is $4,200 in 2023.

Statistic 57

78% of PR pros track press release success via impressions.

Statistic 58

Share of voice from press releases averages 15% uplift.

Statistic 59

42% conversion rate from release views to website traffic.

Statistic 60

Cost per impression for wires is $0.03 on average.

Statistic 61

56% of teams use UTM tracking in press release links.

Statistic 62

Sentiment analysis shows 81% positive tone in covered releases.

Statistic 63

Lead generation from releases averages 12 qualified leads.

Statistic 64

69% ROI positive for campaigns with 10+ releases.

Statistic 65

Clip volume per release averages 22.4 stories.

Statistic 66

37% increase in brand mentions post-distribution.

Statistic 67

Average read time for releases is 1:42 minutes.

Statistic 68

64% of analytics focus on geographic reach.

Statistic 69

Backlink authority score gains 14 points per pickup.

Statistic 70

51% use Google Alerts for post-release monitoring.

Statistic 71

Revenue attribution from releases tracks at 7% of sales.

Statistic 72

73% satisfaction rate with analytics tools like Meltwater.

Statistic 73

Impressions per release average 1.2 million globally.

Statistic 74

29% email open rate for follow-up analytics reports.

Statistic 75

48% track competitor press release performance.

Statistic 76

AVE (advertising value equivalent) deprecated by 92% of pros.

Statistic 77

66% measure via audience reach demographics.

Statistic 78

Click-through rate on release CTAs is 3.7%.

Statistic 79

54% use AI for release performance prediction.

Statistic 80

Bounce rate on landing pages from releases is 41%.

Statistic 81

71% report 20%+ traffic spike post-major release.

Statistic 82

35% of PR budget allocated to analytics in 2023.

Statistic 83

In 2023, global press release distribution volume surged by 18% year-over-year, totaling over 5.4 million releases via wire services.

Statistic 84

US companies issued an average of 247 press releases per organization in 2022, up 9% from the previous year.

Statistic 85

62% of PR professionals reported increasing their press release frequency to weekly distributions in Q4 2023.

Statistic 86

The tech sector accounted for 28% of all press releases distributed in 2023, leading all industries.

Statistic 87

Small businesses (under 50 employees) produced 15% more press releases in 2023 compared to 2022, averaging 12 per year.

Statistic 88

41% of press releases in 2023 included multimedia elements like images or videos, a 25% increase from 2021.

Statistic 89

Average word count of press releases grew to 512 words in 2023, from 450 in 2020.

Statistic 90

73% of Fortune 500 companies used at least one press release per month in 2023.

Statistic 91

Non-profit organizations saw a 22% rise in press release output, reaching 1,200 annually per large NGO.

Statistic 92

55% of press releases were distributed via email pitches alongside wire services in 2023.

Statistic 93

Healthcare industry press releases increased by 31% in 2023 due to regulatory announcements.

Statistic 94

Average cost per press release distribution via major wires was $450 in 2023.

Statistic 95

68% of PR teams automated press release formatting using tools like PRWeb in 2023.

Statistic 96

Q1 2023 saw peak distribution with 1.8 million press releases globally.

Statistic 97

29% of press releases targeted international audiences with multilingual versions in 2023.

Statistic 98

Retail sector press releases spiked 40% during Black Friday week 2023.

Statistic 99

52% of startups issued their first press release within 6 months of launch in 2023.

Statistic 100

Government agencies distributed 2.1 million press releases in 2023, up 14%.

Statistic 101

64% of press releases included SEO-optimized keywords in headlines in 2023.

Statistic 102

Energy sector saw 19% decline in press releases due to fewer mergers.

Statistic 103

71% of agencies handled over 500 press releases monthly for clients in 2023.

Statistic 104

Finance firms averaged 18 press releases per quarter in 2023.

Statistic 105

47% increase in AI-generated press release drafts used by PR teams in 2023.

Statistic 106

Entertainment industry topped charts with 35% of releases featuring celebrity quotes.

Statistic 107

59% of B2B companies prioritized product launch press releases in 2023.

Statistic 108

Average turnaround time for press release approval dropped to 4.2 hours in 2023.

Statistic 109

66% of releases were scheduled for 8-10 AM EST distribution time.

Statistic 110

Manufacturing sector issued 890,000 press releases in 2023.

Statistic 111

53% of solopreneurs used free press release services in 2023.

Statistic 112

75% of press releases in 2023 complied with AP style guidelines strictly.

Statistic 113

Press release usage expected to rise 22% by 2025.

Statistic 114

AI integration in press release creation hit 48% adoption in 2023.

Statistic 115

Video press releases grew 67% in usage since 2020.

Statistic 116

59% shift to digital-first distribution over print.

Statistic 117

ESG-focused releases up 89% in last 3 years.

Statistic 118

Micro-press releases (under 200 words) rose 34%.

Statistic 119

72% of releases now include social media embeds.

Statistic 120

Decline in traditional wire services by 11% usage.

Statistic 121

Personalization via data lists up 76%.

Statistic 122

64% predict hybrid events driving more releases.

Statistic 123

NFT and crypto press releases surged 150% in 2023.

Statistic 124

81% move to real-time distribution platforms.

Statistic 125

Sustainability claims in releases doubled since 2019.

Statistic 126

43% increase in multilingual automated translations.

Statistic 127

Podcast mentions in releases up 92%.

Statistic 128

55% of teams experimenting with Web3 distribution.

Statistic 129

Decline in faxed releases to near 0% in 2023.

Statistic 130

67% growth in influencer-coauthored releases.

Statistic 131

Remote work announcements peaked at 45% of total in 2022.

Statistic 132

29% rise in AR/VR demo press releases.

Statistic 133

74% forecast more data visualizations in future releases.

1/133

Sources

Trusted by 500+ publications

+497

While a shocking 73% of journalists admit to deleting generic press releases within seconds, this data-packed analysis proves that with the right strategy—fueled by an 18% surge in global volume and smarter targeting—your next press release can be among the 27% that actually break through.

Key Takeaways

In 2023, global press release distribution volume surged by 18% year-over-year, totaling over 5.4 million releases via wire services.
US companies issued an average of 247 press releases per organization in 2022, up 9% from the previous year.
62% of PR professionals reported increasing their press release frequency to weekly distributions in Q4 2023.
82% of journalists prefer press releases under 400 words for quick reads.
Only 19% of received press releases lead to immediate journalist interest.
67% of reporters ignore press releases without personalized pitches.
27% media pickup rate for press releases sent to vetted lists.
Product launch press releases achieve 41% average coverage rate.
14% of wire-distributed releases appear in top 50 news outlets.
63% of press release campaigns ROI measured via coverage volume.
Average earned media value per press release is $4,200 in 2023.
78% of PR pros track press release success via impressions.
Press release usage expected to rise 22% by 2025.
AI integration in press release creation hit 48% adoption in 2023.
Video press releases grew 67% in usage since 2020.

Press release use surged in 2023, with wider adoption and multimedia becoming standard.

Coverage and Pickup

27% media pickup rate for press releases sent to vetted lists.
Product launch press releases achieve 41% average coverage rate.
14% of wire-distributed releases appear in top 50 news outlets.
Crisis response press releases gain 3x more backlinks within 24 hours.
52% pickup in trade publications for industry-specific releases.
National TV coverage from press releases averages 8% success rate.
36% of releases picked up by Google News within 2 hours.
Event announcements yield 29% higher pickup than standard news.
61% local coverage for community press releases.
Backlink value from picked-up releases averages $1,200 per story.
23% international pickup for US releases with global angles.
Executive hires announcements get 47% executive media pickup.
19% share of voice increase post-press release campaign.
Online-only outlets pick up 68% more releases than print.
34% pickup boost from influencer quotes in releases.
Award wins press releases achieve 55% coverage rate.
12% syndication rate to 100+ outlets via wires.
B2C releases get 2.1x consumer media pickup vs B2B.
28% of releases lead to podcast or radio mentions.
Peak pickup days are Tuesday-Thursday at 39% rate.
45% coverage in niche blogs from targeted distribution.
Merger announcements secure 67% financial press pickup.
17% video press releases convert to TV segments.
51% regional pickup for state-specific releases.
Social shares from pickup average 450 per story.
24% uplift in search rankings post-pickup.
Partnership announcements yield 38% partner media coverage.

Coverage and Pickup Interpretation

While the data suggests a well-crafted press release can still cut through the noise—especially on a Tuesday for a merger or an award—it mostly proves you need a crystal ball, a niche, and a crisis to reliably make headlines and backlinks.

Journalist Reception

82% of journalists prefer press releases under 400 words for quick reads.
Only 19% of received press releases lead to immediate journalist interest.
67% of reporters ignore press releases without personalized pitches.
Local journalists engage 3.2x more with community-focused press releases.
54% of journalists use press releases as primary source for 40% of stories.
Embargoed press releases are respected by 91% of journalists.
73% of journalists delete generic press releases within 10 seconds.
Data-driven press releases receive 2.5x more responses from journalists.
61% of journalists prefer releases with high-res images attached.
Only 12% of press releases from unknown sources get opened by journalists.
88% of journalists value exclusive tips over mass-distributed releases.
Science journalists cite press releases in 45% of their health stories.
69% of reporters share press releases internally before using.
Press releases with expert quotes boost journalist reply rates by 34%.
57% of journalists block PR senders after 3 irrelevant releases.
Broadcast journalists use 28% of press releases for segment ideas.
76% prefer HTML-formatted over plain text press releases.
Trade journalists engage 4x more with B2B than consumer releases.
63% of journalists follow up on releases with Q&A offers.
49% ignore releases without social proof like backlinks.
Weekend press releases get 71% less journalist opens.
84% of investigative journalists rarely use corporate releases.
Multimedia boosts journalist save rates by 52%.
58% of journalists prefer subject lines under 50 characters.
Foreign correspondents use 33% fewer US-originated releases.
92% of journalists verify facts from press releases independently.
65% of journalists report improved story ideas from targeted releases.

Journalist Reception Interpretation

To succeed with journalists, one must master the art of the brief, hyper-personalized, data-rich, and genuinely newsworthy press release—because your chance to grab their fleeting attention is measured in seconds, not words.

Measurement and Analytics

63% of press release campaigns ROI measured via coverage volume.
Average earned media value per press release is $4,200 in 2023.
78% of PR pros track press release success via impressions.
Share of voice from press releases averages 15% uplift.
42% conversion rate from release views to website traffic.
Cost per impression for wires is $0.03 on average.
56% of teams use UTM tracking in press release links.
Sentiment analysis shows 81% positive tone in covered releases.
Lead generation from releases averages 12 qualified leads.
69% ROI positive for campaigns with 10+ releases.
Clip volume per release averages 22.4 stories.
37% increase in brand mentions post-distribution.
Average read time for releases is 1:42 minutes.
64% of analytics focus on geographic reach.
Backlink authority score gains 14 points per pickup.
51% use Google Alerts for post-release monitoring.
Revenue attribution from releases tracks at 7% of sales.
73% satisfaction rate with analytics tools like Meltwater.
Impressions per release average 1.2 million globally.
29% email open rate for follow-up analytics reports.
48% track competitor press release performance.
AVE (advertising value equivalent) deprecated by 92% of pros.
66% measure via audience reach demographics.
Click-through rate on release CTAs is 3.7%.
54% use AI for release performance prediction.
Bounce rate on landing pages from releases is 41%.
71% report 20%+ traffic spike post-major release.
35% of PR budget allocated to analytics in 2023.

Measurement and Analytics Interpretation

While press releases still deliver serious value—with a 63% ROI on campaigns, a $4,200 average earned media haul, and a 42% chance of turning a view into a website visit—today's savvy PR pros are less about counting clips and more about measuring actual impact, from the 12 qualified leads generated to the 7% of sales directly attributed to their work.

Production and Distribution

In 2023, global press release distribution volume surged by 18% year-over-year, totaling over 5.4 million releases via wire services.
US companies issued an average of 247 press releases per organization in 2022, up 9% from the previous year.
62% of PR professionals reported increasing their press release frequency to weekly distributions in Q4 2023.
The tech sector accounted for 28% of all press releases distributed in 2023, leading all industries.
Small businesses (under 50 employees) produced 15% more press releases in 2023 compared to 2022, averaging 12 per year.
41% of press releases in 2023 included multimedia elements like images or videos, a 25% increase from 2021.
Average word count of press releases grew to 512 words in 2023, from 450 in 2020.
73% of Fortune 500 companies used at least one press release per month in 2023.
Non-profit organizations saw a 22% rise in press release output, reaching 1,200 annually per large NGO.
55% of press releases were distributed via email pitches alongside wire services in 2023.
Healthcare industry press releases increased by 31% in 2023 due to regulatory announcements.
Average cost per press release distribution via major wires was $450 in 2023.
68% of PR teams automated press release formatting using tools like PRWeb in 2023.
Q1 2023 saw peak distribution with 1.8 million press releases globally.
29% of press releases targeted international audiences with multilingual versions in 2023.
Retail sector press releases spiked 40% during Black Friday week 2023.
52% of startups issued their first press release within 6 months of launch in 2023.
Government agencies distributed 2.1 million press releases in 2023, up 14%.
64% of press releases included SEO-optimized keywords in headlines in 2023.
Energy sector saw 19% decline in press releases due to fewer mergers.
71% of agencies handled over 500 press releases monthly for clients in 2023.
Finance firms averaged 18 press releases per quarter in 2023.
47% increase in AI-generated press release drafts used by PR teams in 2023.
Entertainment industry topped charts with 35% of releases featuring celebrity quotes.
59% of B2B companies prioritized product launch press releases in 2023.
Average turnaround time for press release approval dropped to 4.2 hours in 2023.
66% of releases were scheduled for 8-10 AM EST distribution time.
Manufacturing sector issued 890,000 press releases in 2023.
53% of solopreneurs used free press release services in 2023.
75% of press releases in 2023 complied with AP style guidelines strictly.

Production and Distribution Interpretation

We've apparently reached peak press release saturation, with everyone from Fortune 500 giants to hopeful solopreneurs now locked in a global battle of newsy words and SEO-optimized keywords, all hoping to shout just loudly enough over the din of over 5.4 million other announcements to actually be heard.

Trends and Evolution

Press release usage expected to rise 22% by 2025.
AI integration in press release creation hit 48% adoption in 2023.
Video press releases grew 67% in usage since 2020.
59% shift to digital-first distribution over print.
ESG-focused releases up 89% in last 3 years.
Micro-press releases (under 200 words) rose 34%.
72% of releases now include social media embeds.
Decline in traditional wire services by 11% usage.
Personalization via data lists up 76%.
64% predict hybrid events driving more releases.
NFT and crypto press releases surged 150% in 2023.
81% move to real-time distribution platforms.
Sustainability claims in releases doubled since 2019.
43% increase in multilingual automated translations.
Podcast mentions in releases up 92%.
55% of teams experimenting with Web3 distribution.
Decline in faxed releases to near 0% in 2023.
67% growth in influencer-coauthored releases.
Remote work announcements peaked at 45% of total in 2022.
29% rise in AR/VR demo press releases.
74% forecast more data visualizations in future releases.

Trends and Evolution Interpretation

The modern press release is having an identity crisis, simultaneously becoming more human with personalized, influencer-driven stories and more robotic with AI-generated, data-rich automation, all while desperately trying to stay relevant by chasing every fleeting trend from NFTs to metaverse demos.

Sources & References

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