There are four routes onto local news sites across the US. You can pitch local reporters one market at a time, send a press release through a wire and hope local editors use it, buy sponsored posts site by site, or use a feature syndication service that places one story on many local sites at once. NewsUSA does the last: a journalist writes the story, you approve it, and it runs on 2,000+ US news sites within 30 days.
Want to know whether your story would run? Todd Simon, National PR Director, will tell you on a strategy call.
Book a call with ToddFour routes, compared
| Route | How it works | Effort | What you can show for it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pitching local reporters | You or an agency contact reporters market by market | High: one market and one relationship at a time | Coverage, when it lands. The most credible kind |
| Press release wire | Your release goes out to newsrooms | Low | Proof of distribution. Whether editors use it is up to them |
| Sponsored posts | You pay each site, or an ad network, to run your content | Medium: you choose and pay site by site | Placements you chose, usually labeled as sponsored |
| Feature syndication | A finished feature story is placed across a network of news sites | Low once you have approved the story | A placement count and a report you can check |
What makes a story run on local sites
Whichever route you take, the stories that travel furthest have a few things in common:
- Useful to a reader in any town. Practical advice, a how-to, a seasonal tip. Local readers want something they can use.
- Your company in the story, not in the headline. A story about protecting your home from winter storms can feature a roofing company. A story headlined with the company name reads as an ad.
- No expiry date. A launch date or a one-day event dates the story. A useful explainer can keep running for weeks.
- Plain, checkable facts. Specific numbers with a source, and no claims an editor would need to verify by phone.
Pitching local reporters
Pitching works best when you have a real local angle: a new location, local hires, an event, or a local customer story. It is slow to scale. Each market has its own reporters and editors, and each one decides for themselves. Use it for the handful of markets that matter most to you.
Feature syndication
Syndication is the route built for reach. One story is written once, approved once and placed across a network of news sites. With NewsUSA, a journalist writes the story and nothing is distributed until you have approved every word. It runs on 2,000+ US news sites within 30 days, and one client campaign in September 2026 ran on 2,637 news sites in under two weeks. Every campaign closes with a report listing every site with a live link, and only live placements are billed. The services that do this are compared in feature story syndication services, compared.
How to check the result
- Open the links yourself. A sample of twenty, picked at random, tells you a lot.
- Look at each site around your story. Does it carry its own local news, or only syndicated content?
- Note how the story is labeled on each site, before you quote it in a sales deck.
- Check a few links again a month later. More on this in what a placement report should show.
Questions
How do I get my brand into local news sites across the US?
Pitch local reporters in the markets that matter most, and use a feature syndication service for reach across the rest. With NewsUSA, a journalist-written story you approve runs on 2,000+ US news sites within 30 days.
How many news sites can one syndicated story reach?
Through NewsUSA, 2,000+ US news sites within 30 days. One September 2026 campaign ran on 2,637 news sites in under two weeks.
Do local news sites charge to publish stories?
Some sell sponsored posts directly. With a syndication service you pay the service rather than each site. With NewsUSA, only live placements are billed.
Is running stories on local news sites worth it for a national brand?
Often, yes. A story that runs across many local news sites reaches readers across the country on sites about their own towns.
How this page was made
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. The descriptions of the other routes are general and name no vendor. How these guides are made.
- NewsUSA: Mat release distribution, read November 5, 2026