Comments on: Yes: Kill the Press Releases, Please!

By: Melissa

Melissa — Thu, 21 Jul 2005 06:44:30 +0000

I have heard your comments at several recent events on this subject. One thing
that you leave out is how this applies to public companies. Blogs and these new
forms of media will not satisfy the shareholders that they must report to. I also think
that we are still at an early stage in the game to think that blogs are as influential as
the folks in your circle believe. These new media forms vary by industry and even by region.
In San Francisco, we tracked blogs as closely as we tracked articles but in Colorado, it is
a strategy that a lot of companies are resistant to. The comment that “this is an easy thing to
bill clients for” is false in most cases. A press release goes through so many channels of approval
that it usually absorbs a good amount of budget. A good PR person understands that releases rarely fuel good media.
We are the ones that are fighting against press releases for all news ideas. I also agree with a previous poster that
there is an appropriate channel for every piece of news. Sometimes a press release is the only way to get a partner on board because of the ability to control the message. But the press release is by no means a PR person’s friend. I personally hate them. Another point is that clients insist on these traditional methods. Even the most savvy companies won’t remove themselves from the press release game. This debate is one that will continue for quite some time.

By: PRspeak

PRspeak — Tue, 19 Jul 2005 12:53:15 +0000

Death Knell for the Press Release
Is the press release dead? There’s a lot of talk about how better to get clients’ messages out, including this post at Contentious by Amy Gahran. We ask the same question here (at least in the background) and I’m sure…

By: Enrico Bianchessi

Enrico Bianchessi — Tue, 19 Jul 2005 10:40:47 +0000

Dear Amy, I think that you and Shel both are right. On one side, there is no doubt that new tools (they are jsut tools,
I would underline it)like blogs and RSS offer very effective alternatives to press relases (and to e-mail newsletters). But
there is no doubt also that not every content can be “packed” into blogs and RSS.
Simply we (I’m a PR) have to choose the most suitable “mean of transportation” for the specific content.
But, and this is key to me, the main point is the quality of the content. I cannot but agree with you Amy, about the
content you find (in average) in press releases.
Yes they are too often really artificial and totally hype oriented, and they do
not offer any real, substantial “story”. We often have to fight (hard) with clients, who think it is so important to
tell a journalist that thay are “leaders” (can you show me a company that it’s not ??) and that they are
really “happy” about the last commercial agreement…. But don’t worry, on my side I keep on fighting.

By: Amy Gahran

Amy Gahran — Tue, 19 Jul 2005 00:23:34 +0000

Thanks Shel. As always, I value and respect your perspective.

I never said that blogs alone will replace press releases. Rather, I believe that blogs and a variety of other types of content will — and should — replace press releases. And the sooner the better, because most press releases are a colossal waste of time, effort, and attention all the way around.

Should there still be “push” vehicles to disseminate information to media professionals and the public? Of course. Regulatory mandates are only part of the issue driving that. Must those vehicles be press releases as we have come to know and hate them? No!

The same dissemination networks which currently spew meaningless, artificial, hype-ridden press releases could be put to much better use providing more practical and effective types of information which could also satisfy regulatory mandates.

It just requires PR professionals, mainstream media, regulators and audiences to think realistically for even just a minute about the goals they are trying to achieve. There is no reason to promote form over substance or function. Especially when the form sucks and is notoriously ineffective most of the time.

In my humble opinion, of course

- Amy Gahran

By: Shel Holtz

Shel Holtz — Tue, 19 Jul 2005 00:11:31 +0000

It’s becoming a litany for me: New media don’t kill old media. Old media adapt.

So it will be with press releases. Yes, new media (blogs, notably) can eventually replace MANY press releases, but not all of them. Consider the blogs require a PULL; press releases are PUSHED. The principal releases that will survive are the material disclosure releases. Mandated (in the US) by the SEC, these MUST get into the hands of the financial marketplace concurrently. Press release distribution services assure regulatory compliance. Blogs cannot. Hence, there always will be some form of press release. Its use will simply be more limited.

By: spinme.com

spinme.com — Mon, 18 Jul 2005 22:44:55 +0000

Killing the Press Release
There’s a movement underway to kill off the press release. Some folks can’t wait for the release to hasten its own demise. Others feel like the problem is that too many folks write bad releases. Here’s my own checklist