Four years ago, Silicon Valley blogger and ex-FT reporter Tom Foremski famously declared, "Die! Press release! Die! Die! Die!"
Central to Foremski’s passionate argument that the demise of the press release would be welcome – indeed, should be encouraged – was a simple journalist’s view:
[…] Press releases are created by committees, edited by lawyers, and then sent out at great expense through Businesswire or PRnewswire to reach the digital and physical trash bins of tens of thousands of journalists.
Whether you agree with Foremski’s views or not, his post unleashed months if not years of debate among many in the PR community, online and offline, about the effectiveness or otherwise of the press release, asking: If it’s so useless, what should replace it?
Spurred by Foremski’s rant, Todd Defren pioneered the concept of the social media press release in 2006, offering a template as an open source contribution to the debate.
The social media release was broadly designed to reflect an evolution in the usefulness of how reporters and editors might prefer to receive announcements, geared more to copy-and-paste and useful links to rich related content elsewhere online than just providing narratives that they ignore anyway.
So what’s happened during the past four years other than debate? Did the press release die? Many experimented with the social media release. Businesses sprang up offering distribution services for such releases (which always seemed slightly oxymoronic to me: publishing your social media release somewhere online is the distribution).
It didn’t really take off, for reasons as varied as because there is no consistent structure or presentation format, lack of understanding on how it is meant to work, and huge lack of interest from journalists.
So far from dying, the press release flourishes. Indeed, a credible survey by the Oriella PR Network shows that nearly 75 percent of journalists questioned – over 750 in 15 countries during May-June 2010 – said they like to receive email press releases if the content is "high quality and well targeted." Nothing new there!
Does the social media release have a role in the communication toolboxes of PR pros?
I believe it does, depending on many factors including the measurable objective you’re trying to achieve where an announcement of some kind communicated some way (eg, via a press release) plays a key role in you achieving your objective and the recipient of your announcement achieving his or her objective.
Rather than try and replace the traditional press release with a social media version – something that quite a few in the PR community strongly advocated when Foremksi’s post created the initial kerfuffle – I suggest using both in a complementary fashion.
That way, you’ll meet the needs of those who want to receive traditional press releases by email as well as those who will benefit from the interactivity of the social media version.
And who knows – if you offer high quality and well targeted content in both, you might start something evolutionary.
(Originally published on the WCG Common Sense blog.)
37 responses to “No, the press release is not dead”
[Blog] No, the press release is not dead http://tinyurl.com/2fpfwtc #fb #in
[nh.com] No, the press release is not dead http://goo.gl/fb/TBF7A
Hobson: No, the press release is not dead: Four years ago, Silicon Valley blogger and ex-FT reporter Tom Foremski … http://bit.ly/9pbItk
No, the press release is not dead http://bit.ly/crcUNM
No, the press release is not dead http://bit.ly/cVLB0c
No, the press release is not dead http://bit.ly/aLFcIb
Reading: No, the press release is not dead by @jangles http://bit.ly/9zOuf1
No, the press release is not dead — NevilleHobson.com http://ow.ly/2ci5P
RT @behindthespin: No, the press release is not dead — NevilleHobson.com http://ow.ly/2ci5P
No, the press release is not dead | RT @jangles | http://is.gd/du2ON
RT @jangles [Blog] No, the press release is not dead http://tinyurl.com/2fpfwtc #fb #in
RT @jangles No, the press release is not dead http://tinyurl.com/2fpfwtc (via @CisionUK)
RT @behindthespin: No, the press release is not dead — NevilleHobson.com http://ow.ly/2ci5P
rt @tp_da Reading: No, the press release is not dead by @jangles http://bit.ly/9zOuf1
Twitter Comment
RT @jangles No, the press release is not dead [link to post] (via @CisionUK)
– Posted using Chat Catcher
Twitter Comment
[Blog] No, the press release is not dead [link to post] #fb #in
– Posted using Chat Catcher
Twitter Comment
RT @jangles [Blog] No, the press release is not dead [link to post] #fb #in
– Posted using Chat Catcher
RT @tp_da: Reading: No, the press release is not dead by @jangles http://bit.ly/9zOuf1 #PR #Medienarbeit
No, the press release is not dead, says @jangles: http://j.mp/bT0dh3
i do believe that the press release is not yet dead as well http://j.mp/bT0dh3 @davefleet
Interesting stuff from @nevillehobson » No, the press release is not dead http://ow.ly/2ckjk
RT @GemmaWent: Interesting stuff from @nevillehobson » No, the press release is not dead http://ow.ly/2ckjk <- why we created @postecho
Thanks Neville, good over view of the history of the press release in the last few years. Liked the chart as well. What about the use of press releases for SEO directly to audience? Isn't that something that's changed the industry a lot in the last few years?
RT @jangles No, the press release is not dead http://is.gd/du2ON
No, the press release is not dead #NevilleHobson http://bit.ly/dymdKO
RT @GemmaWent: Interesting stuff from @nevillehobson » No, the press release is not dead http://ow.ly/2ckjk
RT @GemmaWent: Interesting stuff from @nevillehobson » No, the press release is not dead http://ow.ly/2ckjk
RT @mattuk RT @GemmaWent: Interesting stuff from @nevillehobson » No, the press release is not dead http://ow.ly/2ckjk
RT @mattuk RT @GemmaWent: Interesting stuff from @nevillehobson » No, the press release is not dead http://ow.ly/2ckjk
Hi Neville,
I think the main problem with the social media press release, in the UK especially, is that it has been pushed as a tool to replace the press release, rather than a tool to assist journalists/PRs to do their job, which is something we at Pressitt http://pressitt.com/ are striving to achieve.
The modern journalist has to wear many hats and is often over stretched, the social media news release should take some of the pressure away by making relevant content easily available, including downloadable video and high – res images, useful links, etc.
I think you hit the nail on the head when you said “I suggest using both in a complementary fashion.†SMNRs don’t need to be a complete revolution, but should be a change to benefit the users, and also help to make the journalist/PR relationship more relevant to the current communications environment.
Andy Merchant @andymerch
Co Founder and Director @pressitt
Thanks, Andy, appreciate your viewpoint. Relevance and compelling content: the two watchwords no matter the medium.
Agree, John, re SEO and direct-to-audience. But who's actually doing that in such a scientific manner, so to speak?
In case you missed it. RT @davefleet No, the press release is not dead, says @jangles: http://j.mp/bT0dh3
Smurftips: No, the press release is not dead http://bit.ly/ccAiNZ
RT @DoktorSpinn: Smurftips: No, the press release is not dead http://bit.ly/ccAiNZ
RT @DoktorSpinn Smurftips: No, the press release is not dead http://bit.ly/ccAiNZ
No, the press release is not dead | http://t.co/ep6dPHR http://t.co/p4i9My1 via @jangles