The short answer
Give the press inbox an owner, sort every message into a few labels (for example Interview request, Quote request, Pitch, Other), set a same-day reply target, draft from the full thread, and require approval for anything on the record. A shared inbox like Tutti automates the labeling and drafting and enforces the approval, so the system runs even when the owner is out.
On this page
1. Give it an owner
A press@ inbox that "everyone watches" is an inbox nobody answers. Name one owner per day or per week. Others can reply, but the owner makes sure every request gets a response and knows when it is escalated.
2. Sort everything into a few labels
Use four or five labels with short, clear definitions:
Write down what belongs and what does not. A shared definition is what keeps labeling consistent, whether a person or an AI applies it. More in how to organize Gmail labels for a team.
3. Set a response target
Same day for anything from a journalist, within an hour for anything with a same-day deadline. Publish the target inside the team so the owner can hold people to it.
4. Keep approved material one click away
Most replies need the same things: the boilerplate, spokesperson bios, approved photos, the latest numbers. Keep them in one place and link it from your reply templates. See the press email templates.
5. Require approval for anything on the record
Decide who approves quotes and statements. Everyone else drafts. Approvals should be fast, but they should exist.
6. Review weekly
Once a week, look at what came in: which requests went unanswered, which took longest, and which outlets write most. Adjust labels and owners accordingly.
Tools that help
- Gmail delegation gives one or two people access to press@, but no ownership or approvals.
- A Google Groups collaborative inbox adds assignment and resolved status for one group address.
- A shared inbox like Tutti runs this whole system: AI applies your label definitions to every conversation, drafts a reply from the full thread with unknown facts left as [placeholders], and requires approval before sending, across press@ and every other connected Gmail account.
Compare the options in the best shared inbox for PR teams.
Frequently asked questions
Who should own a press@ inbox?
One named person owns it each day, even if several people reply. Ownership is what stops requests from being read by everyone and answered by no one.
What labels should a press inbox use?
Keep it to four or five: Interview request, Quote request, Embargo or briefing, Pitch or spam, and Other. Clear definitions matter more than many labels.