Press Release Research, PR Gun Studies and 2026 Wire Data

By the PR Gun Research desk. Updated November 1, 2026.

PR Gun's press release research measures what actually gets published on the wires. The newest finding, updated November 1, 2026, profiles 11 newswires in PR Gun's database of published press releases. Median release length runs from 394 words on PRLog to 834 words on EIN Presswire. A phone number appears in 31.2% of 82,398 PR Newswire releases, against 68.8% of 3,251 Newswire.com releases. Every study below states its own sample size and date window.

What's new? The 2026 wire profile

This is a new finding, published here first. We profiled every wire with at least 300 releases in PR Gun's database of published press releases between January 1 and October 31, 2026. Each wire's coverage window is different, so each row shows its own N and dates.

Findings you can quote

• EIN Presswire releases ran longest in PR Gun's database, with a median of 834 words across 6,796 releases published February 18 to October 30, 2026.
• PRLog releases ran shortest, with a median of 394 words across 2,275 releases published September 20 to October 30, 2026.
• In PR Gun's database, 31.2% of 82,398 PR Newswire releases published January 4 to October 31, 2026 included a phone number in the text.
• Newswire.com had the highest phone number rate, 68.8% of 3,251 releases published May 6 to October 31, 2026.
• 96.3% of 3,251 Newswire.com releases showed an email address in the published text, the highest of the 11 wires.
• GlobeNewswire had the longest headlines, a median of 106 characters across 6,085 releases published May 6 to October 18, 2026.
• 5.5% of 82,398 PR Newswire headlines were written entirely in capital letters, the highest share of any wire profiled.
• Send2Press releases contained a quote most often, 79.3% of 479 releases, followed by PRWeb at 78.4% of 5,684.

One caution on email. PR Newswire's 4.0% reflects how its pages hide or mask contact emails. It measures what a reader can see in the published text, not what the sender supplied.

Send times are only reliable for five wires, where fewer than 4% of timestamps are date-only. The most common slot was 8 a.m. Eastern on Tuesday for PR Newswire and Newswire.com, 9 a.m. on Thursday for Business Wire, 7 a.m. on Tuesday for Send2Press and 5 a.m. on Tuesday for ACCESS Newswire. For the full timing analysis, see the best time to send a press release study.

These wire profiles also feed our buyer guides. The PR Newswire, EIN Presswire, GlobeNewswire and PRWeb alternatives pages each compare one wire's profile with its rivals.

Which studies has PR Gun published?

PR Gun has published three groups of studies, each on its own sample. Don't add the samples together. They overlap and they cover different windows.

The release-type pages each include a fill-in template and a structure checklist. They show how much the type of news changes the shape of a release. Executive appointments run shortest, at a median of 589 words. Funding announcements run longest, at 772.

Quotes are the clearest pattern. Every release type above includes a quote more often than the 59.3% average across all 178,863 releases. Executive appointments lead at 92.2%.

What do the 2026 refreshed studies find?

Studies 76 to 85 were rerun on November 1, 2026 with PR Gun's database of published press releases. The main sample is 129,938 releases published January 1 to October 31, 2026 on twelve wires, one copy per wire and headline. Each wire's coverage window is different, and each study page lists them. The two timing studies use 97,043 releases with a real send time, published May 7 to October 31, 2026 on the five wires with reliable timestamps. Wires are named, not anonymous.

The refreshed studies and the 2026 wire profile above were computed separately, with slightly different date handling and filters. That's why a few figures differ by a hair. PR Newswire's phone rate is 31.3% in study 81 and 31.2% in the profile, and its all-caps headline rate is 5.79% in study 82 and 5.5% in the profile. Cite the figure from the page you link.

For SEO questions, study 85 is the evidence page. Our best press release service for SEO guide applies it to buying decisions.

What free research tools does PR Gun offer?

Publication Heatmap. An interactive tool to explore publication-time congestion on the wires. Use it with the timing study to find quieter slots.

Price Transparency Index. Published pricing, quote-only status and source links for press release distribution providers, with a starting-price calculator. Its dataset was verified September 18, 2026, and its next re-check is due December 18, 2026.

Prices move faster than the index. Our November 1, 2026 vendor check found openPR and PRLog now publish prices that the index still lists as unverified. For current prices, use the press release distribution pricing guide, which uses the November 1 check.

How should you use this research?

If you're writing a release, start with the release-type page for your news. It gives a median length, headline length and quote rate for that kind of announcement, plus a template. Then check how to write a press release.

If you're choosing a wire, use the 2026 wire profile. It shows how releases actually look on each service, including whether a reader can see a phone number or email. Then compare prices in the best press release distribution services guide.

If you're a journalist or researcher, cite the figure with its sample and window, and link the study. The quotable lines above are written to stand alone.

The newest release-type page covers earnings press releases, with its own sample, method and template.

Frequently asked questions

How many press releases has PR Gun analyzed?

Each study has its own sample. The 2026 wire profile covers 11 wires, from 479 Send2Press releases to 82,398 PR Newswire releases. The statistics study covers 178,863 releases, and the refreshed studies 76 to 85 cover 129,938 releases published January 1 to October 31, 2026. The samples overlap, so they shouldn't be added.

How long is the average press release?

It depends on the wire. In the 2026 wire profile, median length runs from 394 words on PRLog to 834 on EIN Presswire. Across 129,938 releases published January 1 to October 31, 2026, the median was 632 words. PR Gun's earlier statistics study of 178,863 releases found 706.

Which newswire includes phone numbers most often?

In PR Gun's 2026 wire profile, Newswire.com did, with a phone number in 68.8% of 3,251 releases published May 6 to October 31, 2026. EIN Presswire was next at 62.2%.

Are studies 76 to 85 up to date?

Yes. They were rerun on November 1, 2026 on 129,938 releases published January 1 to October 31, 2026. The two timing studies use the 97,043 releases with a reliable send time.

Can I cite PR Gun's research?

Yes. Journalists and publications are welcome to cite these findings with attribution to PR Gun and a link to the study. Please include the sample size and window.