How to Distribute a Press Release in the UK

You do not need a London office or a British agency for press release distribution in the UK. You do need a release that reads as British news, a list built around the UK’s trade and regional press, and a named person journalists can call during UK hours. Here is what that means in practice, what it costs and where overseas companies slip up.

Press release distribution in the UK: what actually changes

English is not enough: it has to be British English

The UK is the one large European market where you do not need a translation, and that is exactly why overseas companies underestimate it. A release written for an American or a global audience reads as foreign copy in a British newsroom: US spelling, dollar figures without sterling, dates written month first, examples that mean nothing locally. Adapt it for UK readers; it costs little and it is the first thing a journalist notices.

Give the British angle in the first paragraph. A UK journalist wants to know what happens in the UK: customers, jobs, prices, availability, a British spokesperson or client. A global announcement with no local fact is a story for someone else.

A national press concentrated in London, and a strong trade press

National titles and broadcasters are largely based in London, which makes the national layer easier to map than in federal countries. But for most companies the national dailies are not the right first target. The UK has an active trade and specialist press for almost every sector, and regional and local media still carry a large share of business news outside London.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own media and, in part, their own news agenda. If your news is about one of them, the list should start there.

Two sources are useful when you choose British titles from abroad: ABC, which audits the circulation and audience claims of UK publishers, and the Reuters Institute’s 2026 United Kingdom chapter, which sets out where British readers now get their news.

Embargoes are taken seriously

British journalists work with embargoes routinely, and they expect the embargo line at the top of the release, with a date, a time and a time zone (UK time). An embargo helps when you want coverage on a fixed day; it does not oblige anyone to cover the story.

Paid content is labelled, articles are not for sale

In the UK, paid placements appear as “advertisement feature” or “sponsored”, clearly marked. Editorial coverage is a different thing: British editors choose what they run, and no distribution can guarantee it. A provider promising a fixed number of UK articles is describing advertising.

Your checklist for press release distribution in the UK

1. The text, adapted for the UK. British spelling, sterling, UK date format, and a British angle in the first paragraph.
2. A spokesperson on UK time. A reporter who calls at 3 pm in London and reaches an office that closed hours earlier, or has not opened yet, goes to the next story. Give a mobile number and the hours it is answered.
3. Your targeting decided. Which sectors and trade titles, national or regional, and whether Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland matter for this news.
4. Pictures editors can use. High-resolution, cleared for press use, each with a caption naming the people shown.
5. The embargo, if any, written out. Date and time in UK time on the first line of the release, and the final text with us at least a working day before the embargo lifts.

What press release distribution in the UK costs

England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland together count as one country:

There is no translation to pay for; turning an American or continental text into British copy is part of our writing service. The UK with Ireland, or with other European countries, is priced on request; continent and worldwide plans are listed on the pricing page, and the international distribution guide helps you decide whether you need them. For other single markets, see our guides to Germany, Spain, the USA and France.

Timing in the UK

Once you submit, the release goes out within six to 72 hours, depending mostly on how quickly you approve the final text; this guide breaks the timing down. With an embargo, we schedule the send so journalists have it before the embargo lifts.

British trade monthlies plan their issues well ahead, coverage often carries no link, and part of your visibility now shows up in AI-generated answers rather than articles. Our page on what to do when a release is not picked up explains how to read the results.

Frequently asked questions