Comments on: Why Are We Still Writing News Releases?

By: TheWellynnGroup

TheWellynnGroup — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 16:35:27 +0000

The discipline of crafting a strong release can also help the client, and the PR pro, articulate in a focused way what they are trying to say. The process of creating the release has benefit, even if the release itself may be a small part of the overall communications plan.

By: profkrg

profkrg — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 19:50:05 +0000

I don’t think the news release is dead at all. I don’t really think media die, they just adapt. A news release is an official form of communication. The way they’re delivered certainly has changed (no more snail mail or faxes), but the concept and information still is worthy.

By: dough

dough — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 18:41:30 +0000

Ah, press releases, how can I miss them if they won’t go away?

Excellent points above, which I generally sum up as “they serve well as a record of announcement” – for disclosure purposes, etc.

The New/Social Media Press/News Release helped a small number of people change their habits and produce more interesting documents, but I have not used nor recommended use of a press release in an actual pitch in at least 8 years. The exception was generally to use them as a backup source of facts and data for follow-up and to have on-hand, but in that purpose the “press release” is replaceable.

So they stay? Use them well, craft them to do what they need to do, not because someone told you you have to.

By: mylefttom

mylefttom — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 17:19:56 +0000

@kamichat Yep, that has happened to me (and of course I planned it that way).

By: kamichat

kamichat — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 12:20:56 +0000

Also, when you are pitching, one of the first things an interested journalist will say is, “okay, send me the press release and we will take a look.” You might not want to get caught with your pants down when they do. They might not be the actual news generator anymore, but they can move the news along.

By: Anthony_Rodriguez

Anthony_Rodriguez — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 22:55:58 +0000

@mylefttom They have to work in concert with each other. Which makes our job harder but can expand our reach much further.

By: mylefttom

mylefttom — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 22:54:43 +0000

@Jeff Domansky Darn right Jeff. It’s still an important tool sharing a larger toolbox.

By: mylefttom

mylefttom — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 22:53:17 +0000

@Anthony_Rodriguez Thank you Anthony. Would you believe I wanted to start with something like that? I was compiling the reasons that ‘content pr’ is the victor in a new vs. old school release, but it became clear that my premise was dead wrong.

By: Anthony_Rodriguez

Anthony_Rodriguez — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 22:48:16 +0000

Very clever. I was expecting yet another piece extolling a false premise that we didn’t need the news release anymore. It was only a couple of months ago that I was at a PR event with a media panel of journalists from all media types where they said it is still very much a part of how they get their ideas for news. I came into this ready to show you how you were wrong but you’re a tricky trickster.

By: Jeff Domansky

Jeff Domansky — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 22:33:30 +0000

Tom, enjoyed your post. I think (new) PR and news releases are still driven by the same goals. We simply have moved beyond old labels to what is better described as “social PR” and social news releases. The news release now is only one of a bigger set of tools and social channels we can use to go direct to key targets. Way more exciting than spraying and praying.