What is an exclusive?
An exclusive is news that one outlet gets to break first and alone. You offer a story to a single journalist before the rest of the press receives it. For the journalist that exclusivity is valuable; for you it raises the odds of a large, well-developed article.
Written by Timon Hendriks · Last updated on 12 July 2026
How it works in practice
Offering an exclusive works like this: you choose the outlet that best fits your story and audience, offer it explicitly as an exclusive, and give a reasonable response window. If the journalist takes it, they get time to build the story before anyone else has it. Only after the exclusive has run do you send the broader press release to the rest of your media list.
The trade-off is depth versus breadth. An exclusive often produces a bigger and better article, and other outlets still follow strong news afterwards. But you also disappoint outlets that did not get it. Play it straight: never promise two outlets an exclusive at the same time, because that costs you lasting credit with both newsrooms.
Example
An Atlanta e-bike maker has research data on commuting behavior among lease riders. Instead of a press release to everyone, the PR lead offers the study exclusively to a national paper that covers mobility extensively. The paper builds a large feature with an infographic. The day after it runs, the press release goes out wide, and several news sites follow the story.
Common mistake
Promising an exclusive and quietly sharing the news more widely anyway. Journalists find out almost every time, and a broken exclusivity agreement is rarely forgiven.
Frequently asked questions
When do you offer news as an exclusive?
When the story is big enough for a substantial article and one outlet is clearly the right stage. For small news an exclusive holds no appeal; a regular press release to your whole list works better.
How long do you give a journalist for an exclusive?
Agree a concrete window, for example a few working days to decide plus a publication date. If the journalist does not respond within it, you are free to take the story elsewhere.