Not every business update deserves a press release.
A press release works best when your update gives someone outside your company a reason to care. The test is not “Are we excited?” The test is “Would this matter to customers, journalists, investors, partners, or the community?”
That is where newsworthiness comes in.
Journalists often look for familiar news values such as timeliness, impact, proximity, prominence, conflict, novelty, and human interest. Purdue OWL offers a useful overview of the components of newsworthiness, and those ideas can help a business decide whether an update is worth announcing.
Start With the “So What?” Test
Before you write a release, ask one plain question:
So what?
You launched a new service. So what?
You hired a new executive. So what?
You opened a new office. So what?
The answer cannot be “because we want attention.” It has to point to a real change.
A new service may be newsworthy if it solves a timely problem. A new executive may be newsworthy if that person brings rare experience or signals a shift. A new office may be newsworthy if it creates jobs, expands access, or shows growth in a specific market.
The update matters when it affects someone beyond your own team.
Five Signs Your Update May Be Newsworthy
1. It affects a clear audience
A business update becomes stronger when you can name who benefits.
“Company launches new software” is weak.
“Company launches scheduling software to help independent clinics reduce missed appointments” is stronger.
The second version names the audience and the problem. That gives a journalist something to work with.
2. It connects to timing
Timing can turn an ordinary update into a useful story.
A tax firm launching a small-business tax guide in February has better timing than releasing it in July. A cybersecurity company sharing new fraud data during a spike in attacks has a stronger hook than sharing the same information months later.
The update does not have to chase the news. But it should feel connected to what people are already thinking about.
3. It includes proof
Claims are easy. Proof is better.
Numbers help. So do customer examples, research findings, hiring data, expansion details, survey results, and before-and-after outcomes.
Instead of saying, “We are growing quickly,” say, “The company added 18 employees and opened a second location after doubling revenue over the past year.”
That gives the story weight.
4. It has local, industry, or community relevance
A national outlet may not care that your company opened a second office. A local business journal might.
Trade publications may care about a technical update that general media would ignore. Community media may care about a local employer, charity partnership, school program, or neighborhood impact.
The mistake is thinking newsworthiness is the same everywhere. It is not. The right audience often makes the story.
5. It shows change
News is usually about change.
Did something begin, end, grow, improve, return, expand, merge, launch, or shift?
That movement gives the announcement a reason to exist. A static update is harder to pitch. A meaningful change gives the release a spine.
What Usually Is Not Newsworthy?
Some updates are better suited for your blog, email list, or social media.
That may include minor website updates, routine discounts, vague company milestones, internal team celebrations, or announcements with no outside impact.
There are exceptions. A company anniversary could be newsworthy if it includes data, community history, a major expansion, or a founder story. But “we turned 10” by itself is thin.
The Associated Press explains that strong journalism depends on standards such as accuracy, fairness, and independence in its news values and principles. Businesses should take the same lesson seriously. Do not dress up a weak update as major news. Make the update useful, clear, and honest.
A Simple Newsworthiness Checklist
Before sending your next release, ask:
- Who does this affect?
- Why does it matter now?
- What proof supports it?
- Which audience or publication would care?
- What changed?
- Can we explain it in one clear sentence?
If you cannot answer those questions, the update may need more substance before it becomes a press release.
The Bottom Line
A newsworthy business update is not just something your company wants to say. It is something the right audience has a reason to hear.
That is the difference between an announcement and a story.
When in doubt, step outside your company for a moment. Imagine you are the reader. Would you stop, click, read, or share?
If the honest answer is yes, you may have a press release worth sending. If the answer is no, keep shaping the story until the value is clear.
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