5 of September’s Most-Read Press Releases
September was another strong month for consumer-focused releases, from travel to tech. Here’s a deeper look at the five most popular stories on PR Newswire’s site last month.
1. Spectrum Announces Unprecedented Customer Commitment, Free Internet Speed Lifts and New Bundled Pricing
Source: PRNewsfoto/Charter Communications, Inc.
Spectrum’s wide-ranging service updates claimed the top spot on prnewswire.com in September.
What works: Spectrum wisely does not try to cram every detail of its multi-faceted announcement into the headline. At just over 100 characters, the headline captures the customer-centric news summary with enough specifics to get readers to click, and then two subheadlines follow with more detail.
The real highlight here is Spectrum’s strategic formatting throughout the body of the release. The company’s message is focused on building credibility and reliability with its customers, so structuring the narrative in a way that speaks to them and is easy to scan and digest makes the release that much stronger.
Bolded section headers, numbered and bulleted lists and other notable bolding allow Spectrum’s audiences to quickly find the key points. Plus, three unique links, including a clear call to action to the customer commitment page of Spectrum’s site, drive the engagement the company wants.
2. U.S. News Releases 2025 Best Colleges Rankings
U.S. News & World Report’s highly anticipated annual list of its top colleges earned the No. 2 spot last month.
What works: With an established audience 40 years in, you have some leeway with sticking to a straightforward headline on an annual release. However, utilizing a subheadline with the current news angle to establish expectations for your audience is key to keeping a repeating release fresh. Bonus points for incorporating keywords and phrases prospective students and their parents are likely searching for online – “social mobility” and “post-graduate success” here.
Once again, formatting is key, particularly for such a dense release, and U.S. News checks all the best practice formatting boxes. Regarding links, this is a rare example where numerous links are fine, given the broad and varied audience. Each link is relevant, clear and direct, and, in the case of the “Top 3” lists, prevents the release from becoming too long.
3. Southwest Airlines Brings Back its Limited-Time Companion Pass Promotion!
Source: PRNewsfoto/Southwest Airlines Co.
Intense interest in the future of Southwest’s operations and what it means for passengers propelled the airline’s promotional news to the third spot.
What works: It’s short and sweet, pairing an engaging visual with simple text that matches the instructions set off in the release. Southwest knows its target audience are visual creatures, and maximizing the ROI of an image already being shared on other platforms both creates consistent messaging and facilitates engagement and action.
There are just three things travelers have to remember with this promotion, but I’d put money on the photo being their reference point rather than the text.
4. Norwegian Cruise Line® Announces the First-Ever Show at Sea Celebrating the Global Icon ‘Prince’ to Premiere Aboard the All-New Norwegian Aqua™ in 2025
Even though summer officially came to an end in September, readers were still very interested in their next potential vacations, making Norwegian’s cruise news the fourth-most-read release last month.
What works: Prince’s legacy endures eight years after his death, and Norwegian leans into that unique angle in its headline and multimedia, highlighting the exclusiveness of its entertainment and travel option.
There’s a lot of news to cover in this release, and the bolded section headers guide the company’s audience – from travel journalists to prospective cruisers – exactly where they need to go. More importantly, Norwegian links to the brand-new Aqua in the first paragraph, driving readers to learn more and take action rather than risking them missing such an important link at the end of a long release.
Lastly, Norwegian sent on an off minute in an ideal distribution window to give its content every opportunity to be noticed.
5. Oracle Offers Powerful Generative AI RAG Agent and Enhanced AI Services to Help Customers Solve Business Problems
Source: PRNewsfoto/Oracle
Rounding out our Top 5 for September is Oracle’s latest AI innovation.
What works: One of several announcements coming out of Oracle CloudWorld, this headline stands out for its direct promise.
When counseling our clients on getting to the “so what” in the headline (the most important thing you can do with your headline, per journalists), one of the questions we pose to them is “Who is your audience and what problem are you solving for them?” Oracle literally does that here, offering a solution to a specific audience while including popular search phrases around AI.
The strength of the headline pulls readers into the release, where unique, relevant links are front and center in the first paragraph, and the body features two eye-catching lists calling out the new products and the specific industries in which they would be most helpful.
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Sarah Roberts is Director of Customer Content Services. In a previous life, she was a newspaper reporter in the Midwest before permanently retiring her snow shovel and moving to the Land of Enchantment. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, exploring the craft beer scene and petting all the dogs.
