Not every company update deserves a press release.
That may sound harsh, but it protects your budget and credibility. A weak announcement teaches journalists to ignore you. A strong one gives them a clear reason to pay attention.
Before you send your next release, run it through this simple scorecard.
How the scorecard works
Give your announcement 0, 1, or 2 points for each category.
0 means weak.
1 means useful, but incomplete.
2 means strong.
A perfect score is 20. You do not need perfection. You need enough substance.
1. Timeliness
Is this happening now?
A release works best when tied to a specific date, launch, event, milestone, report, hire, partnership, or change. “We want more visibility” is not timely. “We are opening a second location on July 15” is.
Score:
0: No clear timing
1: Some timing, but not urgent
2: Current, specific, and time-sensitive
2. Impact
Who is affected?
Journalists care less about what your company wants to say and more about who it matters to. Customers, employees, investors, local residents, donors, students, or industry buyers can all strengthen a story.
Score:
0: Mostly internal news
1: A small audience is affected
2: A clear outside audience benefits or is affected
3. Specificity
Can you prove it?
Numbers help. Dates help. Names help. So do locations, product details, study findings, customer results, funding amounts, expansion plans, and measurable outcomes.
Score:
0: Vague claims
1: Some supporting detail
2: Clear facts, numbers, or evidence
4. Relevance to the audience
Would the target publication care?
A trade publication may care about a new manufacturing process. A local newspaper may care about jobs or community impact. A national outlet usually needs a broader trend or unusual angle.
The University of Nebraska Omaha’s guide to what makes something newsworthy is a useful reminder that journalists weigh factors such as impact, timeliness, proximity, and human interest.
Score:
0: No clear media audience
1: Relevant to a narrow group
2: Clearly matched to a specific audience or beat
5. New information
Is there something here people did not know yesterday?
A release should move the story forward. Repackaging old information rarely works unless you add fresh data, a new result, a new quote, or a new public action.
Score:
0: Old information
1: Some new detail
2: Clearly new development
6. Human interest
Is there a person in the story?
People connect with people. A founder who solved a problem, a customer who got a meaningful result, or a nonprofit leader responding to local need can give the release life.
Score:
0: No human angle
1: A person is mentioned
2: The human angle explains why the story matters
7. Credibility
Would a skeptical reader believe it?
Avoid inflated language. “Revolutionary,” “game-changing,” and “best-in-class” do not make a story stronger. They make it sound less trustworthy. Use plain facts and let the reader reach the conclusion.
Score:
0: Mostly promotional language
1: Some proof, but still sales-heavy
2: Balanced, factual, and believable
8. Fit for the press release format
Can this be stated clearly in a headline, lead, quote, and supporting details?
Some ideas are better as blog posts, emails, or social updates. A press release needs a clear announcement. This eReleases article on how to make a press release newsworthy explains why the angle matters.
Score:
0: No clear announcement
1: Possible release, but unfocused
2: Clear announcement with a natural structure
9. Differentiation
What makes this stand out?
You do not need to be the only company doing something. But there should be something distinct: first, largest, fastest, local, unusual, deeply useful, independently verified, or tied to a larger trend.
Score:
0: Common or routine
1: Some distinguishing detail
2: Clear point of difference
10. Next step
What should the reader do with this information?
A good release gives the reader a clean path: attend an event, review a report, interview a founder, visit a new location, or understand a market change.
Score:
0: No clear takeaway
1: Takeaway is present but weak
2: Reader understands why the news matters now
What your score means
16–20: Strong release. Write and distribute it.
11–15: Promising, but sharpen the angle first. Add proof, timing, or a clearer audience.
6–10: Consider another format. This may work better as a blog post, newsletter item, or social update.
0–5: Hold it. You probably need a stronger story.
Here is the simplest test: would someone outside your company care?
If the answer is yes, build the release around that. If the answer is no, wait for a better angle. Good PR is not about saying more. It is about saying something worth repeating.
Mickie Kennedy founded eReleases.com in 1998 after watching PR firms charge small businesses a $20,000 minimum for a single press release. For 27 years, he’s been closing that gap — distributing 150,000+ releases via Cision PR Newswire, serving 30,000+ clients including Manscaped, Squatty Potty, and 40+ Shark Tank brands, and generating $132M+ in earned media. A sought-after podcast guest and two-time Amazon bestselling author of Beginner’s Guide to Writing Powerful Press Releases and The PR Strategy Manifesto. Mickie holds an MFA in Creative Writing from George Mason University. Based in Baltimore, MD. LinkedIn