PPN Source is built on the trust of journalists. To keep that trust, every release we distribute has to meet basic journalistic standards. Here's what triggers a refusal — and how to fix it before submitting.
These are the most frequent reasons our editorial team returns or rejects a submission. Most are easy to fix once you know to look for them.
A press release announces something newsworthy. If the entire piece is a sales pitch — superlatives, calls to "buy now," no facts a journalist could verify — it goes back. Lead with the news, support it with the offer.
Journalists ask "why now, why this matters." If your release doesn't answer that in the first paragraph (a launch, a milestone, an appointment, a study, a partnership, a response to an event), it won't be picked up — and we won't distribute it.
Press releases include at least one attributed quote from a named spokesperson, and a verifiable source for any statistic or claim. A release with neither looks like marketing copy, not a story.
Releases need the basics: when did this happen (or will it), where, who's involved, and concrete numbers wherever applicable. "A major investment" is not an investment figure.
Typos, broken sentences, copy-paste artifacts, untranslated mixed-language sections, or template placeholders ("[insert quote here]") all signal a draft, not a release. We can't fix that for you in a turnaround window.
Defamatory claims, content targeting individuals, hateful or discriminatory language, deceptive health/financial claims, or content that violates Canadian advertising standards is refused outright — no rewrite.
A press release republished verbatim from a previous distribution — or copied from your own website with no fresh angle — gets flagged by journalists' filters and hurts your future deliverability. We won't distribute the same story twice.
Internal announcements (employee birthdays, internal promotions with no industry significance, anniversary self-celebrations) belong on your intranet, not on a newswire. We focus on releases that have a chance of being picked up.
Before submitting, run through this short checklist. It catches 80% of the issues that lead to a refusal.
If a journalist read only your first sentence, would they know what happened? If not, rewrite it.
One quote from a real spokesperson, with their full name and title. One source for every stat or claim.
Cut "leading," "world-class," "best-in-class," "revolutionary." Replace each with a specific fact.
Reading aloud catches awkward phrasing, run-on sentences, and gaps in logic. Then run a spellcheck.
Our editorial team can rewrite, restructure, or write your release from scratch. Or chat with us about your distribution plan.