Stacker vs. Press Release Wire Services for Earned Media and AI Visibility

• Stacker is a tool for earned media just like press release wire services, but each solves a different problem.
• Stacker distributes brand content as earned media directly to its trusted newsroom network.
• Press release wire services send brand news and updates to thousands of outlets and journalists.

Stacker is an earned media distribution platform that turns brand content into publisher-ready editorial for native placements across a trusted newsroom network, building SEO authority, high-quality mentions and links, and visibility in AI search.

Press release wire services are (typically paid) opportunities to send a brand-provided press release to thousands of websites, newsrooms, and individual journalists. Examples of press release wire services include PR Newswire, Business Wire, and GlobeNewswire.

Press release wire services scale the traditional process of pitching journalists, while Stacker distributes brand-authored articles directly to newsrooms.

The Quick Answer

• Stacker earns native placements by providing newsrooms with publisher-ready editorial that creates powerful credibility signals that travel across Google and AI answers.
• Press release wire services distribute brand-approved language across a wide range of sites and newsrooms to reach thousands of journalists who may choose to cover the story in third-party editorial.
• How teams use both: Scale authoritative brand mentions across a wide range of publishers to build authority in search and LLMs with Stacker, while placing syndicated press releases and third-party editorial coverage of a brand via press release wire services.

Who Each Is For

• Stacker: Brands that want to build authority and ongoing discovery in AI and traditional search by placing editorial natively at scale on trusted news sites.
• Press release wire services: Companies and brands that want to broadcast specific company-related announcements and cast a wide net for potential editorial coverage.

At-a-Glance Comparison

How They Work

Stacker — Earned Distribution

What it is: An earned distribution platform connecting brands and publishers to run native editorial (not advertorial).

How it works: Stacker distributes brands' publisher-ready stories into newsroom workflows for native pickup. You pay for platform access; publishers aren't paid to run the story.

Why it matters: Native placements build credibility with users, search engines, and LLMs; Stacker scales these placements and builds brand authority quickly.

Press Release Wire Services — Journalist Outreach and Syndication

What it is: A paid opportunity to send a verbatim press release to thousands of websites, newsrooms, and individual journalists. Popular press release wire services include PR Newswire, Business Wire, and GlobeNewswire.

How it works: Press release wire services exist to cast a wide net with brand-provided press releases. Along with distribution, these paid services may offer additional tools — such as targeted media and mailing lists, paid syndication opportunities, or tracking and analytics services — to better facilitate earned media through journalist outreach. Typically, you cannot pay a journalist to cover your story.

Why it matters: Audiences (as well as search engines and LLMs) trust impartial editorial coverage more than paid placements, and press release wire services do the legwork of reaching the outlets and people who may write about your brand.

When to Choose Each (And When to Pair Them)

Choose Stacker if …

• Your brand is looking for consistent editorial coverage.
• You want to boost authority signals like SEO, publisher pickups, and brand mentions and links.
• You need to improve your brand's AI search visibility.

Choose press release wire services if …

• You want to share specific company news or announcements verbatim.
• You need brand-focused messaging.
• You want to update individual journalists on company changes.

Use both when …

You want ongoing authority and timely announcements: Build consistent brand mentions and authority across trusted publishers with Stacker, while using press release wire services to put specific company news, like launches, funding, or leadership changes, in front of journalists who may choose to cover it in their own reporting.

What Customers Say

Stacker

• "Stacker has been a real catalyst…bridging the gap between SEO and PR while driving tangible results." — Michael Farr, Paylocity.
• "For startups or content-heavy orgs, Stacker is a great addition to PR…placements are more meaningful." — Jess Pelini, TurboTenant.
• "Stacker has really streamlined our link-building strategy." — Mariah Bliss, Simply Business.

Press Release Wire Services

• "PR Newswire is a terrific solution for ensuring that news is distributed in a way that is findable and searchable." — Verified User, TrustRadius.com

• "For a diverse business like ours, Business Wire has all the distribution options we need to get our press releases to the right audience." — Chet Murray, Public Relations Manager, Revvity

• "GlobeNewswire is a trustful and useful tool for PR solutions. The simple interface allows even the most inexperienced PR user to utilize the platform." — Stefanos Sakellariou, CrowdReviews.com

FAQs

Is a press release considered earned media?

No. A press release is owned content. The brand writes it and typically pays a distribution service to send it out. Releases are often syndicated verbatim to media sites, but that's distribution, not an editorial decision. A press release leads to earned media when a journalist decides the news is worth covering in their own reporting.

What falls under earned media?

Earned media includes press coverage (when a journalist decides to cover your story) and backlinks. Earned media is never paid; it's "earned" because someone outside the company decided the story was worth sharing without financial incentive.

How can brands get featured in trusted publications without a press release wire service?

Brands can earn placements in trusted publications by distributing publisher-ready editorial content directly to newsrooms, rather than broadcasting a press release and hoping journalists pick it up. Earned distribution platforms like Stacker send brand-produced stories to a network of trusted news publishers, whose editors choose whether to republish them natively on their sites. Because every placement is an editor's decision, the coverage carries the credibility of earned media with readers, search engines, and AI platforms.

What does Stacker do?

Stacker distributes brand stories that earn native placements on a network of 3,000+ vetted publishers. While placement decisions are made by editors at these publications, a Stacker story is typically picked up by 200+ publishers.

Which is better for getting cited by AI search engines: Stacker or a press release wire service?

For AI citations, earned editorial placements generally outperform press releases, because AI platforms overwhelmingly cite earned media. Muck Rack's research found that earned media makes up the large majority of AI citations, while press releases account for less than 1%. Stacker's 2026 AI Trust Report, an analysis of more than 3.9 million citations across six AI platforms, found that 641 Stacker network domains were cited by AI between May and August 2026, including 290 cited for brand stories distributed through Stacker. Wire services remain useful for announcements, which tend to gain AI visibility once journalists cover them in their own reporting.