The press release is one of the oldest staples of marketing.

However, in a time where many of us also get our updates from social News Feeds in 140 characters or less, some may question if the press release is still relevant or necessary?

There’s a reason why press releases have lasted this long: they are effective.

They are one of the top ways that organizations get the word out and press get content for their next stories. They are still considered the primary way to pitch company news and stories to media in the hopes that they will be covered.

The purpose of the pitch is ultimately to get media coverage.

Reporters, journalists, editors and other members of the media are your audience. They decide whether or not they will use the content in your release for a published story, so it needs to be something that is newsworthy and culturally relevant.

Press releases should also cover the 5 W’s: “who”, “what”, “where”, “when”, and “why” of the story that you want to share with the media.