--- title: "News Releases vs. Press Releases: What's the Difference?" description: "\"News release\" and \"press release\" are synonyms, but many journalists and PR practitioners prefer one term to the other. Here's why." image: https://www.trustsignals.com/hubfs/press%20releases%20vs%20news%20releases.png --- [![Trust Signals Trademark](https://www.trustsignals.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Trust%20Signals%20Trademark.png?width=300&height=82&name=Trust%20Signals%20Trademark.png) ](https://www.trustsignals.com/) - [About](https://www.trustsignals.com/about) - [Book](https://book.trustsignals.com) - [Blog](https://www.trustsignals.com/blog) - [Rankings](https://www.trustsignals.com/blog/tag/rankings) - [Contact](https://www.trustsignals.com/contact) [ << Back to Blog ](https://www.trustsignals.com/blog) [Media & Third-Party Validation](https://www.trustsignals.com/blog/tag/media-third-party-validation) # Do "News Releases" Inspire More Trust than "Press Releases"? ![Image of Scott Baradell](https://www.trustsignals.com/hubfs/Images/scott-banner.jpeg) ###### Scott Baradell **Published:** Jun 5, 2020 **Last Updated:** Jun 25, 2020 ###### Share [mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https://www.trustsignals.com/blog/news-releases-vs.-press-releases-whats-the-difference%20&body=Check%20out%20https://www.trustsignals.com/blog/news-releases-vs.-press-releases-whats-the-difference&media=https://f.hubspotusercontent30.net/hubfs/7507638/press%20releases%20vs%20news%20releases.png](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https://www.trustsignals.com/blog/news-releases-vs.-press-releases-whats-the-difference%20&body=Check%20out%20https://www.trustsignals.com/blog/news-releases-vs.-press-releases-whats-the-difference&media=https://f.hubspotusercontent30.net/hubfs/7507638/press%20releases%20vs%20news%20releases.png) OK, that was a trick question -- because news releases and press releases are exactly the same thing. Just don’t tell that to my old city desk editor. When I took my first newspaper job, I was skimming through a stream of PR Newswire press releases on my computer and found one that seemed interesting. I printed it out and put it in front of my editor as he sat at another computer editing a story. “I think we should do something with this press release,” I said cheerily as I stood behind him. Without looking back, he snapped, “It’s not a press release. It’s a *news release*.” “What’s the difference?” I asked, genuinely confused. He turned around. “If it’s *news*, it’s a news release. If it’s not, we don’t cover it.” **What's in a Name? Accuracy and Trust** Journalists have always been sensitive about getting their information and story ideas from press releases. Many call them “news releases” because their value should be the news they contain, not the press they are sent to. The term has never really caught on with the general public. Per Google, a search for "news release" generates only about one-fifth as many results as a search for "press release." Still, now that I own a PR agency, I prefer the term “news release."  Why? It carries with it more trust than the term "press release." It reminds our team and clients that the release should have substance. In 2020, it is also more accurate. Today, your release should be written for a much larger audience than just the press. [![Ready to make your brand more visible and trustworthy to both human buyers and AI systems?](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/7507638/interactive-153859540751.png) ](https://cta-service-cms2.hubspot.com/web-interactives/public/v1/track/redirect?encryptedPayload=AVxigLLICw8PcBcsYLk6IU86PbUJVD4ht0ARlOHe5qwlBTbNVhg9HY8LTg8DdECQ2XlW4vycH4chdyZQHjjTFKxXdLRTxZWpkBLwu6RN4A9rVuBksXRMsSWl26aqBL6a%2FT8%2F3AroNkKaaV8J1AL2s7ePK%2BVQSZkEI4r7aWgaRKnv56Au6GqVfN5Vbw%3D%3D&webInteractiveContentId=153859540751&portalId=7507638) ![Image of Scott Baradell](https://www.trustsignals.com/hubfs/Images/scott-banner.jpeg) #### Scott Baradell Scott is founder and CEO of Idea Grove, one of the most forward-looking public relations agencies in the United States. Idea Grove focuses on helping technology companies reach media and buyers, with clients ranging from venture-backed startups to Fortune 100 companies. ###### Blog posts ## Related Articles [Media & Third-Party Validation](https://www.trustsignals.com/blog/tag/media-third-party-validation) ![Image of Scott Baradell](https://www.trustsignals.com/hubfs/Images/scott-banner.jpeg) ##### Scott Baradell ### [Earn Third-Party Validation with Press Releases Featuring Your Customers](https://www.trustsignals.com/blog/earn-third-party-validation-with-press-releases-featuring-your-customers) If you want the news media to trust the claims you make about your product, one of the best ways to... [ Read more ](https://www.trustsignals.com/blog/earn-third-party-validation-with-press-releases-featuring-your-customers) [Media & Third-Party Validation](https://www.trustsignals.com/blog/tag/media-third-party-validation) ![Image of Scott Baradell](https://www.trustsignals.com/hubfs/Images/scott-banner.jpeg) ##### Scott Baradell ### [Anatomy of a Customer Press Release](https://www.trustsignals.com/blog/anatomy-of-a-customer-press-release) In June, I wrote a post for the Business Wire blog called ["Rethinking the Customer Press Release:...](https://blog.businesswire.com/rethinking-the-customer-press-release-how-to-make-it-a-win-win) [ Read more ](https://www.trustsignals.com/blog/anatomy-of-a-customer-press-release) [![Trust Signals, a Registered Trademark of Idea Grove LLC](https://www.trustsignals.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Trust%20Signals%2c%20a%20Registered%20Trademark%20of%20Idea%20Grove%20LLC.png?width=300&height=82&name=Trust%20Signals%2c%20a%20Registered%20Trademark%20of%20Idea%20Grove%20LLC.png) ](https://www.trustsignals.com/?hsLang=en) - [Latest Articles](https://www.trustsignals.com/blog) - [Must-Reads](https://www.trustsignals.com/must-reads) - [Contact](https://www.trustsignals.com/contact) [Privacy Policy](https://www.ideagrove.com/privacy-policy/)  |  [Terms of Use](https://www.ideagrove.com/terms-of-use)  |  All Rights Reserved. © 2024 Idea Grove LLC [Follow us on LinkedIn ](https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/trust-signals) [Follow us on Twitter ](https://twitter.com/Trust_Signals) [Follow us on Instagram ](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAZE-jawJu0kizmRKCb7A0w) [Follow us on Quora ](https://www.quora.com/profile/Scott-Baradell) [Idea Grove Website ](https://www.ideagrove.com/) [Follow us on Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/DallasSEO/) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Scott Baradell", "url" : "https://www.trustsignals.com/blog/author/scott-baradell" }, "dateModified" : "2020-06-25T19:14:51.256Z", "datePublished" : "2020-06-05T12:56:27.000Z", "headline" : "News Releases vs. Press Releases: What's the Difference?", "image" : [ "https://www.trustsignals.com/hubfs/press%20releases%20vs%20news%20releases.png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.trustsignals.com/blog/news-releases-vs.-press-releases-whats-the-difference", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.trustsignals.com/hubfs/Trust%20Signals%20-%20Phase%201%20Redesign/trust-signals-logo-1.svg" }, "name" : "Media Orchard LLC" } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "Organization", "address" : { "@type" : "PostalAddress", "addressCountry" : "US", "addressLocality" : "Dallas", "addressRegion" : "TX" }, "alternateName" : [ "TrustSignals", "Trust Signals Marketing" ], "description" : "Trust Signals is a B2B PR and AI visibility agency founded by Scott Baradell, creator of the Trust Signals® framework. Idea Grove helps B2B brands build authority and get recommended by AI through its LLM Visibility Services.", "founder" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Scott Baradell", "sameAs" : [ "https://www.linkedin.com/in/baradell", "https://x.com/DallasInbound" ], "url" : "https://www.trustsignals.com/about" }, "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.trustsignals.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Images/trust-signals-logo-small.jpg?width=275&name=trust-signals-logo-small.jpg", "width" : 275 }, "name" : "Trust Signals", "parentOrganization" : { "@type" : "Organization", "name" : "Idea Grove", "url" : "https://www.ideagrove.com" }, "sameAs" : [ "https://www.linkedin.com/company/trust-signals/" ], "url" : "https://www.trustsignals.com" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org", "@type" : "Article", "articleBody" : "OK, that was a trick question -- because news releases and press releases are exactly the same thing.

\n

Just don’t tell that to my old city desk editor.

\n\n

When I took my first newspaper job, I was skimming through a stream of PR Newswire press releases on my computer and found one that seemed interesting.

\n

I printed it out and put it in front of my editor as he sat at another computer editing a story.

\n

“I think we should do something with this press release,” I said cheerily as I stood behind him.

\n

Without looking back, he snapped, “It’s not a press release. It’s a news release.”

\n

“What’s the difference?” I asked, genuinely confused.

\n

He turned around.

\n

“If it’s news, it’s a news release. If it’s not, we don’t cover it.”", "articleSection" : "What's in a Name? Accuracy and Trust Journalists have always been sensitive about getting their information and story ideas from press releases. Many call them “news releases” because their value should be the news they contain, not the press they are sent to. The term has never really caught on with the general public. Per Google, a search for \"news release\" generates only about one-fifth as many results as a search for \"press release.\" Still, now that I own a PR agency, I prefer the term “news release.\" Why? It carries with it more trust than the term \"press release.\" It reminds our team and clients that the release should have substance. In 2020, it is also more accurate. Today, your release should be written for a much larger audience than just the press", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Scott Baradell" }, "image" : "https://www.trustsignals.com/hubfs/press%20releases%20vs%20news%20releases.png", "name" : "Do \"News Releases\" Inspire More Trust than \"Press Releases", "url" : "https://www.trustsignals.com/blog/news-releases-vs.-press-releases-whats-the-difference" } ```