Does your press release pass the scan test?

It’s no secret that journalists are more pressed for time than ever before. Their inboxes are brimming with press releases and pitches, and thanks to dwindling staffs at most news outlets, their workloads are increasing at the same time. If you want to get your press release read, it needs to be short and to the point, but more than that, it needs to pass the scan test.

Here’s the unfortunate truth you probably don’t want to hear. Most reporters aren’t going to read your press release word for word. I know you put a lot of care into every word in your press release (and rightfully so), but the fact is that most reporters who actually do open your press release are going to scan over it quickly, rather than actually read the whole thing.