From small-scale tournaments hosted in university computer labs in the early 1970s to global competitions filling professional sports arenas, esports has always been powered by its people and fans.
Josh Ye spent his early career at Reuters chronicling the industry’s explosive rise. Now, as Head of Communications at Hero Esports, he’s driving fan and stakeholder communications himself. He joins Telum Media to discuss fan engagement, offline connections, and unlocking the industry’s future of possibilities via reputation and passion.
From when you started in this industry till now, how has the narrative around the esports industry and its fans changed?
There has been a tremendous change in the recognition of esports as a key part of the future of sports.
A decade or two ago, there was still the impression that esports may be a compartmentalised hobby. Nowadays, esports is no longer a niche phenomenon. Younger generations now watch esports tournaments and professional players in action and follow esports just like they would traditional sports. For those of us that have grown up alongside esports, it is simply a sport and there’s no question that esports players are considered athletes.
This recognition largely comes from these fans, who see esports as a viable career and business opportunity. Brands and sponsors that have taken notice are tapping into the industry and its massive, young, and diverse audience. This change has brought the sport to the masses in a way that has been amazing to witness and contribute to.
And it is precisely the accessibility of esports that makes it attractive - anyone can compete anywhere with anybody, and an individual’s physical attributes, gender, and age take a backseat before the gamer ID.
How has esports PR evolved with increased influence of fan communities? What is PR’s role in fostering long-term trust and loyalty?
Esports may have started as LAN parties among game enthusiasts, but as the industry grew and gained recognition for its potential and status over time, as PR professionals, we have adjusted our sense of responsibility to match this advancement.
We're now builders and protectors of a fast-growing and exciting form of sports. As such, we must take care of the fans, athletes, and overall sporting experience. The esports journey should be positive and with integrity.
In fan and stakeholder communications, our work is to continue building connections and fostering inclusion. In this process, we actively seek feedback and encourage collaborative efforts to shape the industry in the right direction. With the trust and recognition that esports has earned, we must protect this sport’s future.
How do you adapt storytelling for different audiences - from loyal fans to first-time gamers - and across demographics like age, gender, and culture?
Our storytelling strategies are built on the same principle: human connection. That is the charm of esports, and we want each tournament to be a connecting experience.
Our events aim to deliver the best esports experience and connect fans with other fans and the athletes. Once we mark this end goal, we adapt it to the market or demographic specificities.
For first-time gamers, we want them to know that everyone's welcome no matter the demographic. This is an industry that transcends borders and gender. For example, in the Chinese market, where we've built up many of our key events, women often make up more than 50 per cent of the offline audience at our arenas and stadiums. Some may be surprised by this stat, but attending esports games with family and friends has truly become a lifestyle.
For long-time fans, we aim to create experiences that take them back to that first moment when they first connected with their esports peers and communities. Today's tournaments are bigger and more elevated compared to those 10 years ago, but the passion remains as pure as they remember it to be.
Our message is the same, with only a difference in angle: loyal fans can entrust their passion with us and, at the end of the day, they'll also be taken care of.
We're witnessing history being made every day. International, multi-title tournaments and premier experiences are being built as we speak. The Esports World Cup is in its second year, and the International Olympics Committee is set to hold the inaugural Olympic Esports Games in 2027. At Hero Esports, we held the inaugural Hero Esports Asian Champions League this year. Global institutions and governments of all levels are investing in this industry.
We're all aiming to provide top-level experiences never seen before in esports. For PR professionals, this means looking at how we’re telling this story, cultivating cherished experiences for fans and stakeholders, and fostering sustainable connections for all.
Ultimately, it’s about building cultural moments that are shared by millions, if not billions, of people. With the Olympic Games, the average person may not normally follow sports, but many will make a point to attend an Olympic event because of the cultural experience. With the premier experiences emerging in esports, we can build similar human connections and moments that spectators and participants would want to talk about and revisit - and not miss out on.
What advice would you give to PR professionals that are looking to break into or to grow in this industry?
I entered the news industry out of respect for the industry as well as a sense of responsibility to tell stories with integrity. Subsequently, I moved into esports PR with the same feelings: responsibility and respect.
And I truly believe that people nowadays can learn some of life's most valuable lessons through esports just like they do through traditional sports: teamwork, sacrifice, hard work, sportsmanship, and resilience. All the emotions felt at every practice, every competition, are genuine and infectious.
For those considering a career or growth in esports, first ask yourself this: Are you committed to guiding the industry to grow in a positive way? Will you be contributing to something you can recommend family and friends?
Second is to stay fit. This goes back to what the IOC’s Christian Klaue said in an earlier interview with Telum Media: “being fit means being prepared” in the sports industry. It's no different in esports.
Esports athletes are fit, especially mentally. They make snap decisions every second, and for esports communicators, this stamina and agility can help us work through a lot of the challenges.
Finally, remember that what we represent the industry and all the people that are building towards the future of esports. Every day I go to work, I'm amazed by the extremely young and diverse group of coworkers around me - from the directors and analysts to the referees and stage engineers, you name it. It's important to remember that we are here for all these people.
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Every few years, someone declares the death of the media release.
Today, the arguments sound familiar. Journalists don't read them anymore. Everything is social-first. AI is replacing traditional media outreach. It's all about the pitch. Press releases are becoming little more than AI-generated filler.
And yet, when we speak with journalists across Asia Pacific and the Middle East, a different picture emerges.
Media releases aren't dead, but expectations around them have changed significantly.
We've analysed more than 10,000 Journalist Interest Survey responses in the Telum Media platform collected over the past five years, alongside insights gathered from conversations with editors, reporters, and producers across the region.
Key takeaways:
- Journalists still value useful PR content
- Relevance matters more than reach
- The pitch and the release serve different roles
- The best releases reduce friction for journalists
- Modern releases need to support multiple platforms
The conclusion is clear: journalists still value media releases, but they value them for different reasons than they once did.
The media release has evolved from a distribution tool into something far more strategic.
The media release is no longer the story
For decades, many PR professionals treated the media release as the centrepiece of media relations activity.
Write the release. Send it widely. Hope for coverage - “spray and pray”.
That approach was far from perfect, but you could get away with it in an era when newsrooms were larger, competition for attention was lower, and journalists had more time to evaluate incoming information.
Today's reality is very different.
Journalists are producing content across multiple platforms, often with smaller teams and tighter deadlines. Their inboxes are flooded with pitches, announcements, thought leadership submissions, and increasingly, AI-generated content.
As a result, journalists have become far more selective about what earns their attention.
The modern media release is no longer just about news stories. It has become a source-of-truth asset, a newsroom resource, and a content hub that supports broader communications activity.
The best PR teams understand this shift.
“The strongest message from journalists can be summarised in a single phrase: ‘Understand what I cover’. Relevance remains the most important factor in successful media engagement.”
What journalists are actually rejecting
One of the most revealing findings from our analysis is that journalists are not rejecting PR content altogether.
What they're rejecting is low-value outreach.
Across thousands of responses, the same frustrations appeared repeatedly:
- Irrelevant pitches
- Generic outreach
- Mass distribution
- Weak story angles
- Excessive follow-ups
In other words, this is less a rejection of media releases and more a rejection of poor media relations practice.
The strongest message from journalists can be summarised in a single phrase:
"Understand what I cover."
Relevance remains the most important factor in successful media engagement. In fact, our journalist surveys over the past two years have seen a sharp increase in a desire for both relevance and personalisation in pitches.
Journalists increasingly assess pitches within seconds. If the connection to their beat, audience, or current priorities isn't immediately obvious, the opportunity is often lost before the email is even opened.
The pitch and the release have different jobs
One of the biggest misconceptions in modern media relations is treating the pitch and the release as the same thing.
They are not.
The pitch exists to earn attention; the release exists to support the story.
The best pitches are:
- Brief
- Human
- Relevant
- Contextual
- Conversational
The best releases are:
- Structured
- Factual
- Complete
- Reusable
- Easy to reference
At a recent Telum Media event, a senior journalist described the fastest way to kill a pitch with a single word: “Respect”. Or a lack thereof.
A generic greeting. A story unrelated to their beat. A mass-produced email that demonstrates no understanding of their audience.
All signal a lack of respect for the journalist's time and expertise.
High-performing PR teams increasingly write pitches and releases for different audiences. The pitch is written for the journalist. The release is written for the journalist's audience.
That distinction matters.
Why journalists still value media releases
Despite predictions of their demise, journalists continue to actively request media releases.
But they want releases that help them work more efficiently.
The most common requests include concise writing, clear headlines, strong news angles, supporting data (with downloadable images and assets), spokesperson access, and easy-to-use formats.
These preferences reveal the modern role of the release: it functions as a workflow tool.
A strong release helps journalists:
- Understand the story quickly
- Verify information
- Access supporting materials
- Build content efficiently
The best releases reduce friction. And in today's newsroom environment, reducing friction is often more valuable than generating hype.
Think beyond media coverage
Another major shift is that media releases are increasingly serving multiple audiences.
A modern release doesn’t just support journalists; it might also support clients and prospects, employees, investors and analysts, partners, and search visibility.
Rather than creating a single-use document, leading communications teams are building content ecosystems.
The release becomes the foundation for:
- Media outreach
- Newsroom content
- Executive communications
- Social media content
- Email campaigns
- Sales collateral
- Thought leadership activity
This approach not only improves consistency but also increases the return on investment from every announcement.
The role of the modern media release
Not every story needs a release
Perhaps one of the most important lessons is recognising when a media release is the wrong tool.
Releases tend to perform best when there is:
- Genuine news value
- Multiple stakeholder audiences
- A need for factual consistency
- Strong supporting assets
- Broader business significance
They are often less effective for internal milestones framed as major news (or self-congratulatory announcements), generic thought leadership, and untargeted mass outreach.
In some situations, a targeted pitch, LinkedIn strategy, executive commentary programme, or direct relationship-based outreach may be more effective.
Good communications strategy isn't about defaulting to a media release; it's about choosing the right tool for the objective.
A framework for modern media releases
If there is one word that captures what journalists are asking for today, it is respect.
At Telum Media, we summarise this through the RESPECT framework:
R – Relevance
Make it relevant to the journalist, their audience and the moment.
E – Efficiency
Help journalists work faster through clear, concise, and usable content.
S – Substance
Provide genuine value through expertise, data, insight, or access.
P – Personalisation
Demonstrate that you've done your homework.
E – Ecosystem
Think beyond the release and consider how it supports broader communications goals.
C – Clarity
Make the key message immediately obvious.
T – Timing
Reach out at the right time, not simply any time.
What journalists are asking for in a pitch / media release: RESPECT
The future of the media release
The debate over whether media releases are dead misses the point.
The more useful question is how do we make releases work better in today’s media environment?
Journalists still value relevant information, credible sources, strong story angles, and efficient communication. Media releases continue to play an important role in delivering those things.
But success today depends less on the existence of the release itself and more on how strategically it is used.
The media release remains a valuable communications tool.
Just not in the way many of us were taught to use it.
FAQs
Are media releases still useful in 2026?
Yes. Journalists still value media releases, but these days want targeted outreach, relevance to their beat, alignment with their audience, and contextual pitching.
What makes a media release useful to journalists?
Journalists are looking for releases in a format that helps them work efficiently. Which means releases that are concise, factual, with a clear angle, contain usable quotes, and come with downloadable assets and supporting data.
What is the difference between a pitch and a media release?
A pitch earns the journalist’s attention in their cluttered Inbox. A media release supports the story by providing structured, factual, and reusable information relevant to their audience.
With more than 30 years’ experience spanning journalism, corporate communications and media intelligence, Reuben Aitchison is Telum Media’s Head of Insights and Communications.
Explore Telum Media tools that help PR teams pitch with precision.
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