By Caleb Korir
By all appearances, the relationship between corporations and the media should be straightforward.
Companies issue press releases. Journalists publish stories. Brands gain visibility.
But according to Caleb Korir, a journalist and media consultant who has spent years around newsrooms, that assumption is one of the biggest misconceptions in modern corporate communication.
“Every morning I receive no less than five press releases,” Korir says. “Most never see the light of day. They end up in the trash.”
His remarks have sparked important conversations within media and public relations circles about why so many press releases fail — and why many companies still struggle to understand how newsrooms actually operate.
At the center of the problem, Korir argues, is a growing disconnect between corporate communication teams and journalistic practice.
“Many people drafting press releases have never stepped inside a newsroom and have never written an actual news or feature story,” he explains.
The result is a flood of corporate statements that read more like advertising copy than journalism-ready material.
For editors and reporters working under strict editorial standards, that creates an immediate problem.
In professional newsrooms, credibility is currency. A reporter cannot simply copy and paste promotional material into a news article. In many cases, doing so can attract disciplinary action because journalism is expected to serve public interest — not corporate praise campaigns.
That is why certain phrases instantly damage a press release’s chances of publication.
“The leading provider of…”
“We proudly sponsored…”
“Revolutionary and innovative…”
To communications professionals, such language may sound persuasive. To editors, it often sounds like marketing.
Korir says experienced newsroom professionals can often predict whether a press release will be discarded simply by reading the email subject line.
The deeper issue lies in misunderstanding what journalists actually look for.
“A good press release answers the 5Ws and H clearly — who, what, when, where, why and how,” he notes. “But even more importantly, it answers one painful question every reporter asks: Why should the public care?”
That distinction is critical.
Newsrooms are interested in impact, trends, public relevance and human stories. If a press release focuses entirely on celebrating a company without connecting to a larger issue affecting society, it rarely survives the editorial process.
Inside media organizations, editors routinely “kill” stories that lack news value. For reporters, few things are more frustrating than spending hours rewriting a corporate statement only for it to be rejected for being too promotional.
Korir believes brands must fundamentally rethink their approach.
Instead of making themselves the entire story, companies should position themselves within broader conversations — industry shifts, economic trends, consumer challenges or community impact.
“Talk about the problem. Talk about the people affected. Talk about trends, insights and impact,” he advises.
In an era where audiences increasingly value authenticity over corporate slogans, the lesson for businesses is becoming clearer: the media is not searching for self-praise. It is searching for stories that matter.
And for brands willing to understand that difference, the newsroom can become less of a battlefield — and more of an ally.
The Author is a Journalist and Media Consultant