Gina Milani
Gina Milani

Anyone active in media relations can tell you that getting your pitch noticed by an editor is only getting harder.

As a B2B PR Practitioner for over 25 years, I had strategically leveraged "advertorials" for my clients, but wasn't really clear on what Mat Releases were and how, in today's competitive pitching environment, these might be considered along with the release distribution decision itself. But first, a little context on why now.

According to Northwestern's Medill State of Local News Report, since 2005, more than 3,200 print newspapers have vanished. In addition, papers are reducing their print coverage, including shifting from dailies to weeklies or ending print publishing altogether.

In Medill's 2024 report, they found that the US has already exceeded their prediction that by the end of 2025 the country would have lost one-third of its print newspapers over the past two decades. Fewer than 5,600 newspapers remain, 80% of which are weeklies.

In the early days of public relations, PR professionals had a relatively straightforward choice when it came to distributing news: PR Newswire and Business Wire were the dominant players, serving as the primary channels for press release distribution.

These traditional wire services offered broad news dissemination, often reaching journalists, investors, and industry stakeholders through trusted newsrooms and financial networks.

Today journalists still do use newswires but they are not reliant in the same way they were in the past.

The media world now looks much different; today PR pros out number journalists 6 to 1 which means they're fielding pitches day in and day out. Furthermore, the advent of the internet and the proliferation of web-based news distribution platforms have made decision-making around which outlet is best for your piece of news far more complex.

Web-based news distribution platforms

After PRWeb led the way, PR professionals now face an overwhelming number of web-based, online-only options, each promising visibility, reach, and SEO benefits.

We’re even seeing more vertical specialization. 3BL Media for example, has been around since 2009 focusing on ESG-Sustainability Related News, but in 2023 we saw FinTechWire was introduced as well as PressLoft specializing in the Interior, Gift, Fashion & Lifestyle sectors.

Today's AI Generative search capabilities and voice search have further complicated the process. A recent entry is Press Ranger’s AIWire which seeks to ensure news is reference by AI.

While we all strive to be responsible stewards of our clients' PR budgets, the challenge lies in balancing cost with results.

Traditional wire services remain valuable for their authoritative reach and credibility, but newer web-only distribution options offer different advantages many of which include budget-friendly, digital-only press release distribution services that focus on online visibility and SEO.

Public Relations, and the tools we use, have been evolving rapidly over the past decade. During that time, we've seen the rise of content marketing and companies hiring journalists to excavate internal corporate stories so they can bring them to life and use content marketing platforms to go direct to their prospects. Leveraging trusted syndication partners is not that different.

Mat releases vs. advertorials

As we consider content syndication strategies, it’s important to distinguish between mat releases and advertorials, two strategies that serve different purposes.

  • Mat Releases are pre-written, strategic articles often sourced from press releases designed for syndication in media outlets. These are often picked up by newspapers and online platforms as editorial-style content, providing guaranteed placements without appearing as direct advertisements.
  • Advertorials, on the other hand, are paid promotional content that blends advertising with editorial. Unlike mat releases, advertorials are explicitly labeled as sponsored content and are directly controlled by the advertiser, making them more overtly promotional but effective especially in B2B marketing.

While both approaches can help brands secure media exposure, mat releases tend to be more subtly integrated into editorial spaces, whereas advertorials function more like traditional advertisements.

As professional storytellers it's always a thrill to see your strategy, pitch and story land in your desired outlet/s for your client. But what do you do if you're collecting your retainer but have nothing to show for your efforts.

Every truly good story deserves some air time and there is an alternative if you are willing to pivot and redirect investment to guide the story to its successful completion.

Mat releases as a distribution alternative

For brands seeking predictable media placement and broad national exposure, Mat Releases, offer another approach.

The reason I've embraced this outlook is because of the deep relationships these companies have cultivated with publishers over the years.

NAPS (North American Precis Syndicate), founded in 1958 is the oldest mat release services in the U.S. and specializes in traditional print newspapers and magazines, with some digital and trade publication placements.

NAPS would own the space until 1987 when NewsUSA was founded building its model on securing guaranteed placements in newspapers, online news sites, and industry publications.

Let's remember that when NewsUSA entered the market in 1987, the media landscape was vastly different. Cable news was still in its infancy, local newspapers were the primary source of information, and social media was non-existent.

At the time, securing earned media required building direct relationships with journalists and editors—a process that NewsUSA has continued to refine over decades, leveraging its network to ensure placements for clients.

Ten years later another Mat Release resource, Brandpoint entered the market, specializing in sponsored content distribution across digital and print media and now with SEO-friendly distribution (because now we have social media) and guaranteed placements.

Mat Release pricing across the industry is typically, flat-rate, with varying levels of customization and guarantees.

For many today, including Mat releases in a communications strategy can ensure guaranteed placements and be more predictable for clients with limited budgets.

Business Wire, PR Newswire, Globe and other distribution outlets typically charge based on word count and geographic distribution -- and results are not guaranteed.

Final thoughts

The evolution of PR distribution has given communicators more choices than ever before, but it has also introduced new challenges.

As we navigate this increasingly complex landscape, it’s essential to weigh the trade-offs between cost, reach, and guaranteed results.

Whether leveraging traditional wire services, web-only platforms, a Mat release’s unique syndication model, or an advertorial, PR professionals must adopt a strategic approach to what news may deserve wire service distribution and if other outlets are "good enough" for lesser news.

Then of course, we have to decide how we're going to monitor and measure the return on whatever investment is made which is another set of decision-making.

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Gina Milani is the President of Milani Marketing & PR, LLC a virtual PR agency specializing in enterprise software since 2001. She is a long-time member of PRSA, is a passionate advocate for all PR entrepreneurs and is the founder of www.PRToolfinder.com the industry’s only online tools database dedicated 100% to PR Tools.