The Short Lifespan of Press Releases …
Let’s talk practical, and about the real world. As we all know, the news media is undergoing seismic changes. Maybe it’s more accurate to call it, chaos. Newspapers are failing. Broadcast news is losing audience. There are layoffs every which way your turn in mainstream media. Online media is all over the map when it comes to professional expertise, audience, generating revenue and credibility.
It is in that environment that public relations people and others are trying to get attention for their stories. The business of distributing press releases is booming because services like Vocus, PR Newswire, and BusinessWire tout they can reach large numbers of reporters through blast email. For PR people, it’s great because they don’t need to do any work or have media contacts. But that is a terribly flawed and ineffective approach. Here’s why …
The PR industry has become an email spammer to the news media by emailing thousands of press releases each day. Reporters, under pressure to find fresh and new stories for their editors (the opposite of press releases), have become overwhelmed with their inboxes being cluttered with releases sent to everyone and his uncle. Reporters don’t need that; they need something that feels more exclusive and imaginative in order to keep their jobs. They need stories!
News organizations, in response to complaints from their reporters over too darn many press releases, have installed special email spam filters to catch releases and dump them into email trash. A popular spam filter is SpamSieve. Works like a charm. Furthermore, reporters are under no mandate to read those releases in the trash.
So, when your organization spends hours of valuable time to craft a press release, and then, distributes it via email or some blast email service, that’s what happens to it – the trash basket. End of story.
All you need to do is ask a reporter – mainstream or online – what they need for a story, and they will tell you that they need a story idea … just a brief paragraph in an email that outlines a possible story, including contacts and links to other material. That’s what they want. That’s all they need.
Now, I expect that somebody’s going to write a comment to say that press releases serve other meaningful purposes other than attempting to generate media attention. I suppose my response might be … stop kidding yourself.
Category: Featured, Media Relations, Public Relations
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One of the oddities that we’ve been seeing more and more flies in the face of much of this. Releases sent out over a wire service used to get v. little pick up. We tended to do that to placate clients and/or for disclosure reasons.
But now we’re seeing release not only getting picked off the wire but getting used verbatim by bloggers, eMedia (online versions of legacy media) and even online-only media.
The very need for current content online is driving this need. So much emphasis is being put on the dissemination and/or identification of information located elsewhere (let’s face it, isn’t that really what Twitter excels at?) that much to our surprise there seems to be a growing desire for the tired press release.
Some will argue that sites that simply rehash materials from others are doomed, but I’m not quite as certain. It’s more like a new niche is being created and as long as it is recognized for what it’s worth is that a bad thing? I’d say it’s all a part of the re-structuring of how info – and news – is being distributed.
Of course this kind of re-issued release content will never compare to a fully researched and authenticated story. But neither do many blogs which tend to focus more on opinion than on original content containing verified facts.
The thing is, that kind of real journalism isn’t born from a release. That’s the result of engagement with the media – i.e. true media relations.
I’m going to agree with PRJack’s somewhat counterintuitive comment on this thoughtful post. Press release or no press release, there is no substitute for media relations as a process and an area of activity that is required to produce results. No excuse – then or now – for pushing “send” on a blast e-mail with a document attached and then sitting back and waiting for the coverage to start rolling in. Relationships are key, thinking through the distribution process is key, thought and care and strategic thinking are still the drivers that lead to positive engagement with the media and successful placements.
I think it’s true that the notion of a formal press release as a “sit up and take notice” motivator for reporters no longer applies, for many of the reasons David mentions in his post, but what the press release lacks today in terms of “stop the presses” relevance and gravitas is more than made up for, in my mind, by the increasing utility of that kind of document and information on blogs, message boards and what would be considered unconventional media outlets and resources.
Used to be you would write a release in hopes that it would raise interest on the part of a reporter, which would result in a conversation, answering follow-up questions, maybe a phone or in-person interview with some relevant executive to augment the document, etc. The release was, in many instances, the beginning of a process.
In today’s world of fast-moving media outlets and cut-and-paste technology, releases – on their own and with limited (if any) follow-up, can give rise to fully-formed stories, posts and briefs. It’s been my/our experience that a lot more can be accomplished today with a well-crafted and comprehensive press release than was possible before. Legitimate quotes (something someone would actually say) clear writing, brevity, key background information to offer some context without going too far into eyes-glaze-over territory are all important elements of the modern press release.
But of course it all comes down to your ability to reach and relate to the people who are receiving this information. Think of the example of the job seeker who blast mails out 100 resumes and cover letters to potential employers, as opposed to identifying an organic link to three and giving those contacts/engagements the care and personal attention they deserve, and are likely to result in success.
We can use modern advances in moving information to serve our objectives… that’s a continual progression that goes all the way back to phones, and then fax machines, and e-mail, and attachments, etc. But there’s no excuse for carpet bombing reporters or bloggers or any potential audience with press releases or pitches or information in any form and expecting to achieve a desire outcome other than mass annoyance.
Jim,
I am going to agree with both you and PRJim up to a point, with respect. While, on one hand, using something like Vocus or PR Newswire will help your press release to appear on sites, ranging from MSNBC to the Singapore Post, it’s not really media coverage, and it is only fleeting. Those pieces more than likely will not appear on a site’s home page but rather be buried under other press releases that are aggregated. They are nothing more than press release aggregation sites. I know for a fact that some PR people attempt to convince their clients and bosses that it is really media coverage but it is not.
To your point that you so clearly state … media relations is about relationships. Pure and simple. And, relationships take work and time to build trust.
Really appreciate your comments.
David
Oh, I agree completely with your point about Vocus or PR Newswire “appearances” and how little they mean and are worth. Drives me crazy when outside PR firms send “coverage reports” with a straight face, featuring long lists of media outlets that “picked up” a press release, which is meaningless and automated and of zero impact. “Thanks, I’m thrilled that the Dallas Business Report “covered” an announcement about a high-speed Internet service that is available as far West as New Jersey, that helps me a lot and is obviously legitimate and valuable.” Please.
The primary reason we put releases “on the wire” – and we’ve been using PRWeb for this these days, as a much more economical alternative to PR Newswire – is so that when people go searching through Google News and other online news aggregation sites, the releases appear. We’re not in any way looking for pickup out of our wire distribution, that is as much a rote “getting it on the record” process as anything else.
The coverage we care about and work for and celebrate comes from using releases in discussions with reporters/bloggers/writers, sending it to them directly, etc. I agree completely with your point about how little wire service distribution gets you, my original comment was in defense of the press release document itself, not what automated distribution process it gets broadcast through.
Very much appreciate your blog and insights.
David – I agree and a believer. However, a question that is, frankly, an “I don’t know” one. How are companies ensuring their message is viewed by “Wall Street?” It appears as if the classic release is still the mode to ensure investors, etc see good news and hear messages. Am I outdated on that? It seems that parallel efforts are still required for news of substance. Any guidance as to how that might evolve or change?