Which Wire Service?

Written By Ally Gilman

PR for non-PR People: Handy-to-Know Context

Word count is one driver of cost for releases but so are the markets you’re targeting for distribution.  For example, Vermont is a smaller market than New York or California and will cost significantly less than if you include a major market in your selection.  Whereas New York or California will cost more but have a significantly higher number of outlets reached.  At the same time, if the geographies are not concentrated it is sometimes better to go with a national circuit.  Services can also offer pre-filtered lists according to industry that is another factor in the audience-cost considerations.  Including a visual/logos can also add to the base price.

The first questions are really:

  • What are the audiences you’re trying to reach (e.g. local & state leaders vs industry stakeholders)

  • What is your goal with them (volume of impressions or impressions in the right smaller markets) 

  • Does your audience have an industry or geographic concentration

 

The second is question is the purpose of the release:

  • Newswire releases offer:

    • Time-stamped disclosure and simultaneous push to newsrooms

    • Broad, instant saturation within markets shooting for multiple pick-ups

    • Compliance and archival needs

  • Other avenues like self-publishing and/or pitch-adjacent services offer:

    • Contextual, narrative-driven outreach to journalists

    • Focus on region- or issue-specific topics that aren’t stake in the ground announcements

    • Meant to start conversations, not just mark a high-profile event in the public record

The contrast in pricing is who’s guaranteed to see it vs who could see it:

  • PR Newswire has the larger US newsroom penetration, are big for national political desks and federal policy outlets and offer more exposure to the major dailies – it is the long-standing default for gov agencies and Fortune 500s when they issue a release

  • Businesswire is big with financial desks, institutional & capital market media and they have a high disclosure-grade credibility, which may also translate into needing more approval on the wire side before they’ll approve publishing

  • GlobeNewswire has a leaner media list and less reach into US policy reporter circles, it is leveraged more often in investor-relations contexts for announcements that aren’t part of major PR pushes, but are part of documenting an organization’s progress and priorities

  • eReleases doesn’t use the same process as the wire services’ relationship to newsrooms, but instead reaches out directly to reporters and has a curated list

  • Self-publish to News Page this works when you have existing relationships with industry news aggregators who monitor your news page and/or have relationships with reporters you can pitch direct with links to your news page

Option #1 PR Newswire

Best for: Maximum reach, government visibility, national media

  • Membership Fee:  $195/year

  • Core pricing model: Per-word + per-region

  • Base word count: 400 words

  • Base price:  $805–$8,700 depending on state/region

  • Visuals: considers org logo to be a visual @ $495 / visual

  • Additional words: $195 per 100 words

  • Geographic pricing levers:

    • State

    • Regional (e.g., Northeast)

    • National

  • Other cost drivers:

    • Multimedia embeds

    • SEO enhancements

    • Targeted industry circuits (e.g., government, finance)

 

Option #2 Business Wire

Business Wire often lands 10–20% less than PR Newswire for similar reach.

Best for: Credibility with finance, policy, and institutional audiences

  • Core pricing model: Per-word + per-distribution tier

  • Base word count: 400 words

  • Base price: ~$760–$960 (local/state), ~$5,400+ (national)

  • Visuals: includes logo for free, otherwise $425 for 1st visual and $225 each additional

  • Additional words: $195 per 100 words

  • Geographic pricing levers:

    • Local / state

    • Regional

    • National

  • Other cost drivers:

    • Industry targeting

    • Multimedia

    • Disclosure-grade formatting

Option #3 GlobeNewswire

Often 30–60% cheaper than PR Newswire for similar word counts.

Best for: Budget-conscious distribution, nonprofits, foundations

Watch-out: Less prestige in U.S. policy media than PRN/BW

  • Core pricing model: Flat tiers + per-word overage

  • Base word count: 400 words

  • Base price: ~$150–$760 depending on region

  • Visuals: includes logo for free, otherwise $15-200 for 1st visual w/ option for visual carousel

  • Additional words: $150 per 100 words

  • Geographic pricing levers:

    • State

    • Regional

    • National

  • Other cost drivers:

    • Multimedia

    • International distribution

    • SEO add-ons

 

Option #4 eReleases

 Best understood as: a hybrid press distribution + earned media support service, not a traditional wire.

  • Core pricing model: Flat pricing ~$399–$599

  • Base word count: often will go up to 600 words before additional cost

  • Base price: no geographic price cliffs

  • Visuals: includes logo for free, otherwise $100 - 150 / visual

 They distribute releases via:

  • A curated media database

  • Select wire syndication partners

  • Direct journalist outreach lists not the same proprietary newsroom pipes as PR Newswire or Business Wire

 

Our Recommendation for Smaller Organizations if Managing Cost is the Priority:

  • GlobeNewswire is a solid cost-conscious option

  • OR if considering whether or not to do a release at all eReleases might be great to try for announcements that are more comms/initiative awareness vs releases are that are part of a larger coordinated marketing/PR push

Ally Gilman
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