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Feature story or press release?

Answer six questions about what you want to say. The test tells you which format fits and why. Your answers stay in your browser.

Published by NewsUSA · Updated

Short answer

Use a press release when you have dated news that must be public on a set day, or you need your exact words on the record. Use a feature story when the story will still be useful to readers in a month, can teach them something, and you want to know it will run. Many companies do both: the release goes out on the day, and a feature keeps the story in front of readers afterwards.

Your news
1. Is there news that has to be public on a set day, such as a launch, funding, results or an event?
2. Do you need your exact wording on the public record?
3. Will the story still be useful to readers a month from now?
4. Can the story teach readers something, such as tips, steps or an explanation, without being about your product?
5. Do you need to know the story will run before you commit, and to see where?
6. Are you mainly trying to reach journalists who might cover you, rather than readers directly?
Answer the questions to see which format fits.

How the answer is worked out

  • Questions 1 and 2 point to a press release. Either one alone is enough. A release is your own announcement, sent out on the day you choose, in your words.
  • Questions 3, 4 and 5 point to a feature story. Teaching readers something counts most. A feature stays relevant for weeks, and with a placement service you know it will run.
  • Question 6 tips the balance. A release is written for journalists. A feature is written for readers. On its own it does not decide the answer.
  • A format is recommended once enough answers support it. If both are supported, the answer is both: many companies send the release, then turn it into a feature story. If neither is, the test suggests finding an angle first.

The two formats in short

A press release announces something your company did, for journalists to use if they choose. A feature story gives readers advice or an explanation and names the company only when it introduces an expert and in the close. Mat release vs press release compares them side by side, and how to write a feature story shows how a feature is built.

Questions

Should I write a press release or a feature story?

A press release, if the news has to be public on a set day or your exact words must be on the record. A feature story, if the subject will still help readers in a month and you want to know it will run. If both are true, do both.

Can I turn a press release into a feature story?

Yes. Keep the facts and rebuild the story around the reader: open with their problem, give useful advice, quote your expert, and name the company only when you introduce the expert and in the close. The free feature story template lists the parts.

Is a feature story the same as a mat release?

A mat release is a feature story written to be published as it stands and distributed to many news sites at once. Every mat release is a feature story, but not every feature story is distributed that way.

How this page was made

A tool, not a guide. The questions follow the differences set out in the mat release vs press release guide, and the answers stay in your browser. NewsUSA figures (2,000+ US news sites within 30 days, live-only billing, the 2,637-site September 2026 campaign) come from NewsUSA and its campaign reports, which Todd Simon can show you on the call. How these guides are made.

Mat release, press release or sponsored placement?Three ways onto news sites, compared on who writes the story, whether it runs and what you can prove.Alternatives to a press release wire.What a wire can and cannot promise, the alternatives that guarantee placement, and when to use a wire anyway.How to write a feature story that news sites run.What editors look for, how to structure the story, how long it should be, and an example you can copy.

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