A press release is an announcement sent to journalists, who may or may not use it. A mat release is a finished feature story placed on news sites as written, so the number of placements can be guaranteed. A sponsored placement is paid content on a site you choose, usually labeled as sponsored. NewsUSA distributes mat releases: a journalist writes the story, you approve it, and it runs on 2,000+ US news sites.
Want to know whether your story would run? Todd Simon, National PR Director, will tell you on a strategy call.
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| Press release | Mat release | Sponsored placement | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Your company's announcement, in news format | A ready-to-run feature story | Paid content on a publisher's site |
| Where it goes | To journalists and newsrooms, through a wire | To news sites, through a syndication network | To the sites you pick |
| Does it run? | Only if a journalist decides to use it | Yes: the network places it | Yes: you pay the publisher |
| Who writes it | Usually you or your agency | A writer at the syndication service (with NewsUSA, a journalist), approved by you | You, the publisher's studio, or the vendor |
| Best for | Dated news: launches, funding, results | Reach across many news sites, with a count you can check | Being seen on one particular site |
Press release
A press release is the company's own announcement, written in news format and sent through a wire service to newsrooms. It puts the news on the record on the day, in your words. Whether anyone writes about it is up to the journalists who receive it. As NewsUSA puts it, traditional press release distribution "relies on voluntary pickup."
Mat release
A mat release is a feature article written to be published as it stands: useful to readers, not tied to a date, with your company in the story. NewsUSA describes mat release distribution as "a specialized form of content syndication designed to place educational feature articles across trusted news sites." Because the network places the story instead of waiting for an editor to choose it, the number of placements can be guaranteed in advance.
With NewsUSA, a journalist writes the story, you approve every word, and it runs on 2,000+ US news sites within 30 days. Every placement is listed in a report with a live link, and only live placements are billed.
Sponsored placement
A sponsored placement is paid content on a publisher's site, bought outlet by outlet or through an ad network. Cision's guaranteed paid placement, for example, says your story "will run on a curated list of publisher web sites you choose" and is "published unchanged as a sponsored article." You decide where it appears, and readers can see that it is paid.
Which one to use
- Use a press release when you have news with a date on it and want journalists to see it.
- Use a mat release when you want your story read on many news sites, with a placement count you can check in a report.
- Use a sponsored placement when one particular site matters more than reach.
Many companies use more than one: the announcement goes out on a wire on the day, and a feature story carries it further in the weeks after. For the buying side of guaranteed placements, see pay-per-placement PR, explained.
Questions
Is a mat release the same as an advertorial?
No. An advertorial is an ad written to look like an article and placed in paid ad space. A mat release is a feature story that the syndication network places on news sites. How each site labels it can differ, so ask the vendor.
Do press releases still work?
For news, yes. A wire release is the standard way to put an announcement on the record and in front of newsrooms on the day. It does not guarantee that anyone will write about it.
Can a mat release and a press release cover the same news?
Yes, and they read differently. The release announces the news. The feature story explains why it matters to a reader, which is what makes it suitable to run as it stands.
Who writes a NewsUSA story?
A journalist writes it, and nothing is distributed until you have approved every word.
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. Quotes from other companies are taken from their own pages, read on November 5, 2026. How these guides are made.
- NewsUSA: About, read November 5, 2026
- NewsUSA: Mat release distribution, read November 5, 2026
- Cision PR Newswire: Guaranteed Paid Placement, read November 5, 2026