The PR Challenge: I Dare You to Do Without

Via comments to my earlier postings and private e-mail, I keep hearing (almost exclusively from PR folks) defenses for the continued existence of press releases. To all supporters of that particular media vehicle, here’s my challenge:

What if the press release were outlawed today? What if you’d get burned at the stake if you wrote or transmitted another press release? What other types of documents, channels, etc. would you use to get your communication job done? I dare you to think creatively about this issue.

Here’s a bit more detail…

Think beyond blogs. I am not saying – and have never said – that blogs alone would replace press releases. I think blogs have an important role to play, but I’m not expecting any single “silver bullet.” You can use any combination of options and strategies – just not press releases.
What about regulatory mandates? I suspect that although press releases have been commonplace for fulfilling SEC and other requirements for public/media notifications, they are not specifically required. I haven’t yet had a chance to look up the specific rules or regulations, and I’d appreciate it if some kind CONTENTIOUS reader could cite the relevant requirements. I’ll bet that press releases aren’t specifically required. If so, then let’s assume you needed to fulfill those requirements in other ways. How would you do it?
Effects. What might turn out differently if you had to stop issuing press releases? Every option has tradeoffs, so don’t just use the cop-out “Well, I could try another option but it would fail.” Get out of your rut. I’m challenging you to not only think of new options, but to consider the potential advantages as well as disadvantages of each.
Don’t blame journalists. It’s also a cop-out to say “But reporters ask us for releases!” Most reporters loathe press releases, and most press releases get ignored – which makes them a waste of time and resources for everyone. They just want information in a manner that’s easy to use and relevant to their needs. They ask for press releases because they generally think that’s the only way PR folks know how to communicate with the media. I’ll bet if you start showing them options, their requests will change.
Don’t blame your clients. If you keep catering to their outdated assumptions and misconceptions about how media and communication work these days, they’ll never learn. Again, assume it’s the law, and the penalty is death. Find another way or die.
Hint: It may help to re-envision your entire communication process, to think about how you could participate in the public conversation more fully and authentically, every day, without having to resort to artifice and hype.
Smell the smoke. I’m serious – imagine you will be burned alive at the stake for issuing a press release.

That’s my challenge. Go to it.

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24 Comments so far (Add 1 more)

Sending a fact sheet, instead of a press release, can be extremely effective in getting a story placed in media. Just open with basic contact info, a headline and a subheader. Next, a brief intro paragraph (answering: who, what, when, where, why, and how — if possible), then get right to bullet points (not too many, not too few — only what’s truly important to developing the story for the reporter). Then, close with a brief paragraph and repeat contact info with full info this time. That’s all that’s needed.

1. Michael Herman on August 10th, 2005 at 12:07 pm
Hi, Shel

Thanks again for continuing this conversation.

First of all, I think any research concerning the efficacy of press releases is inherently invalid because there aren’t enough equally available or viable alternatives at this point. I mean, if you asked people in 1910 which mode of personal transportation they considered most practical and effective, most of them probably would have answered “horses” because cars — although nominally available — were far from commonplace.

Right now, we have a unique opportunity. Tools, infrastructure, and networks related to communications and media have developed to the point that many options which previously were of little use now are very accessible and practical.

The trick to capitalize on these options is first of all to expand your thinking and stop relying on traditional methods in your own mind. Whether you ultimately abandon them or not is your own choice. However, unless you actually try to give up the tired old strategies (even if just as a thought experiment, in your own head), you probably won’t ever truly learn the potential of new ways of communicating.

In short, you’re more likely to proclaim new options as failures (or at least less effective) until you give them a real shot, on their own terms. And that means at least experimenting with giving up the old ways.

Regarding where I get my information about the abysmal uselessness of press releases is: Conversations with every journalist I know. Literally, to a person, they uniformly tell me they loathe releases. And most PR people have told me they hate writing them. I can only listen to that so much before I have to scremL “THEN WHAT’S THE POINT?”

I don’t think the solution here is breeding faster and more accurate carrier pigeons. It’s about finding better ways to communicate.

- Amy Gahran

2. Amy Gahran on July 30th, 2005 at 3:38 pm
I think there are lots of alternatives for press releases, and I think most of the time they’re issued, it’s just laziness or a matter of slipping into routine. But I disagree that they don’t really work well and never have. And I would ask that you substantiate that comment with proof. Have you seen a survey of editors and reporters that supports this claim? Or is it just opinion? My citation is Fraser Seitel, a highly respected professional and author of one of the core PR textbooks, “The Practice of Public Relations,” in which he says of the news release, “Research…indicates that less than 10 percent of all news releases are published. Nonetheless, each day’s Wall STreet Journal, New York Times, USA Today, CNN, CNBC, Thestreet.com, CBSmarketwatch.com, Google News, and other daily media around the nation and world are filled with stories generated from news releases issued by public relations professionals. So the fact is that the news release — despite the harsh reviews of some — remains the single most important public relations vehicle.”

So I’m suggesting that the 90% that don’t get used were probably mistakes to produce as press releases in the first place. The 10% that did were successful and effective. Why should we give them up? As much as I might rack my brain for other ways to handle my contact lens situation in Waco(read my post), the press release proved without any question to be the single most effective channel I could have used.

In short, I think we’re fundamentally in agreement, with one minor exception. You seem to think we should eschew them 100% of the time; I think we should eschew them 90% of the time.

3. Shel Holtz on July 30th, 2005 at 12:10 pm
Shel wrote:

“Bad press releases are bad. But good press releases are good! Many editors and reporters genuinely appreciate good press releases. How about outlawing BAD press releases and sticking with what works?”

Shel, I understand you’re very passionate about quality in PR. That said, I think you’re missing my point.

My contention here is that on the whole, press releases DON’T REALLY WORK WELL — and they never have. IMHO, the occasional successes that have been achieved with well-written press releases are mainly due to a lack of easily accessible alternative vehicles for PR-press communication.

Look at it this way: If we all communicated by carrier pigeon, some of the best pigeons would occasionally get their messages through. There would be occasional successes. However, wouldn’t you rather just pick up a telephone or send an e-mail to transmit a message?

The whole point of my challenge is to encourage PR people (and others in the media ecosystem) to think creatively, to not rest on tradition.

So Shel, I dare you, personally: Think creatively here. If you absolutely had to eschew press releases, what other options would you use? Try this thought experiment, since that’s all it is. You might be surprised. I’d be curious to see what you’d come up with, since you know PR so well and I deeply respect your judgement.

Best, as always

- Amy Gahran

4. Amy Gahran on July 30th, 2005 at 9:49 am
Bad press releases are bad. But good press releases are good! Many editors and reporters genuinely appreciate good press releases. How about outlawing BAD press releases and sticking with what works?

5. Shel Holtz on July 29th, 2005 at 10:13 pm
Blog Bits – Week of July 25th
Adland points to an interesting series addressing blogs and copyright written by Anne Holland at Marketingsherpa. In the two part series, Blog Copyright Theft On The Rise and Blog Copyright Theft on the Rise Part II, Holland focuses on bloggers

6. Cymfony\'s Marketing Insight on July 29th, 2005 at 9:29 am
Amy:

You have a site that is provocative, informative and well-written. Thank you for the time and energy that goes into it.

Having been in the public relations business for almost 16 years now, I find the idea of a world without press releases to be appealing.

Press releases have been taken over by marketers and often contain nothing short of drivel.

They ought to be called news releases, as I teach my PR students, since they are supposed to contain newsworthy information. Incidentally, the assigned text for the PR writing course contains mostly marketing examples, most of which are junk that in my experience would never get covered anywhere.

That said, I often go without news releases in my private practice. Direct contact with reporters on newsworthy issues saves time and energy. I can target the placement more effectively and devote the energy that would have been involved in writing and distributing a release to ensure that the hits I do get have high value; that is, the content is accurate and the story is more likely to be well positioned in the particular media. I get selective about which medium I use, against based on a target audience assessment.

For an upcoming municipal election, I am pushing my candidate to blog. It’s a natural fit for him. The newsrooms are already reading my blog so it would be easy to have them draw information from there. The novelty of a blog release of a candidacy might just be good enough to score some initial coverage – it would be newsworthy in this market.

More importantly though, I can reach a key demographic through blogging without having my information filtered by news media.

PR professionals should always think outside the conventional ruts into which all people fall. The five minutes I spend in planning my PR activities saves five hours or five days of wasted energy. Being I am a lazy bastard, that’s important to me.

7. Ed Hollett on July 25th, 2005 at 7:11 pm
I’d check with the exchanges as well as the regulators before forgoing the press release. Speaking from the Great White North, the Toronto Stock Exchange disclosure policy states that the only acceptable method of dissemination of material information is through an approved news service that provides simultaneous dissemination of the full text to all financial media. The National Investor Relations Institue (http://www.niri.org) can likely provide answers as to what is required to avoid selective disclosure.

8. Rob Clark on July 25th, 2005 at 1:42 pm
Amy – FYI – I threw a few thought starters out on some news release alternatives.

http://tinyurl.com/djl7x

9. Kevin Dugan on July 24th, 2005 at 10:08 pm
BL said: “Amy: I’ve ye to see you come up with an alternative that I – and others since – proposed years ago. You’re just kvetching.”

Hmmmmmm… so if PR folks proposed these solutions before… WHY AREN’T YOU USING THEM???? I keep seeing PR people resort to the same ineffective, inauthentic, dull strategies – especially press releases. Why is that? Why such an outstanding aversion to a request for creativity? Why are PR folks reacting with a vehemence that would be more appropriate if I were attacking their profession wholesale, rather than just a single outdated and notoriously ineffective practice.

The overwhelmingly negative reaction I’ve had to raising the theme of putting press releases out of their misery reminds me of something that one of my favorite authors, Paul Graham, said in Hackers and Painters:

“The statements that make people mad are the ones they worry might be believed. I suspect the statements that make people maddest are those they worry might be true.”

10. Amy Gahran on July 23rd, 2005 at 9:50 pm
Amy: I’ve ye to see you come up with an alternative that I — and others since — proposed years ago. You’re just kvetching. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. :>)
BL

11. B.L. Ochman on July 23rd, 2005 at 4:42 pm
Press Releases are Dead Tired — And So is the Debate Over Them
Amy Gahran is challenging PR pros to come up with alternatives to the press release. Now I like Amy, respect her writing and her citizen journalism project, “I, Reporter�? (in fact I’ll be talking to some corporate “PR pros�? about

12. Below the Fold on July 22nd, 2005 at 10:45 pm
Amy Gahran :: Press Release Gadfly or Problem Solver
Amy Gahran, whom I’ve written favorably about in this blog has begun what Kevin Dugan calls a game of Red Rover. Problem is, Amy has started the game too soon. Like about five years too soon. That may be the length of time it will take for ever…

13. infOpinions? on July 22nd, 2005 at 2:11 pm
Next On The Hit List: News Releases
First it was e-mail. Now it’s news releases.

How about smoke signals or drums? Can we still use those?

Amy Gahran, who calls herself an “info provocateur” on her blog Contentious, joins the “PR pinata” brigade and challenges public relations…

14. On Message from Wagner Communications on July 22nd, 2005 at 12:04 pm
What the SEC requires is full disclosure. By using EDGAR, a corporation is fulfilling the SEC’s request. Does this necessarily mean a press release? Well, no. But, what would you call information written up in a format that could be read by investors?

And, in the age of Sarbanes-Oxley, I would hope that corporations would go out of their way to provide information, say in the form of a press release.

15. Jeremy Pepper on July 22nd, 2005 at 11:48 am
For those who think I’m “kvetching” or are waiting for me to do their thinking for them, see the ideas I suggested in the first article along this theme.

Ball’s in your court, PR folks. Let’s see some creativity. I know you have it in you.

- Amy Gahran

16. Amy Gahran on July 22nd, 2005 at 11:29 am
I have rarely been asked by journalists for a press release. Frankly, you should
cater your information to each person individually – why do they care? If this
is done correctly, a press release is absolutely unecessary. Secondly, wrapping
your news up and how it applies to current trends, oposing position or recent
article that was written. We get more play when we relate news to what a person
has written or what a competitor is saying than if we push a release. I am fine
with the release being banished. Frankly, I would dance around the fire with
the rest of my colleagues. The main point is that banishing these things will
require someone to make the leap first.

17. Melissa on July 22nd, 2005 at 11:05 am
I read your comment on Steve’s blog, and thought it would be better to respond here. I read the same post, but am not sure what his solution was for press releases beyond “blog, blog, blog” – which isn’t much of a solution.

You have worked for PR firms and PR departments in the past, have you not? The first thing I learned in PR was the it’s easy to come up with the questions, it’s hard to come up with answers.

You say to get rid of press releases. Fine. But, where’s your answer on what to do next? Could it be not that press releases are broken, but it’s the inability to write well? Or, the need to find a new delivery mechanism, that is not just blogs?

18. Jeremy Pepper on July 22nd, 2005 at 10:49 am
What’s your alternative to the press release Amy? Or are you just kvetching?

Here’s the article I wrote in **1999** suggesting an alternative. http://whatsnextonline.com/wno/newsletter9.html#topic1

Lots of flacks pissed and moaned about the need for press releases then, and they’re still doing it now.
B.L. Ochman

19. B.L. Ochman on July 22nd, 2005 at 10:35 am
Given that I absolutely loath writing press releases …

20. Tris Hussey on July 22nd, 2005 at 8:12 am
Ban Press Releases!
Of course. Why not? Shorthand is such a great skill for taking down a verbal briefing. “Send something through,�? I hear the journalist say. Like what? A press release?

21. David Phillips on July 22nd, 2005 at 7:09 am
Amy Dares Us to Give Up Press Releases
Amy Gahran’s blog aint called contentious for nothing. She’s daring us to live without press releases… “What if the press release were outlawed today? What if youd get burned at the stake if you wrote or transmitted another press release?

22. Micro Persuasion on July 21st, 2005 at 10:35 pm
Gary, I appreciate your thoughts, but that’s a separate issue we can take up at another time.

In the meantime, my challenge to PR folks stand. Come on, people — I know you can be creative.

- Amy Gahran

23. Amy Gahran on July 21st, 2005 at 9:30 pm
I would make number six apply to journalists as well, to “participate in the public conversation more fully and authentically, every day, without having to resort to artifice and hype.” Most PR people do the former, too many journalists (I’m mostly talking broadcast) do the latter — especially during ratings sweeps.

24. Gary Goldhammer on July 21st, 2005 at 2:58 pm