Comments on: Kill the Traditional News Release

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 15:03:00 +0000

Thank you for reading and for your comment. There are some cases when a news release is a viable tool and they are also important for SEO to create more online real estate for the brand/company. But what it comes down to, to get meaningful coverage/pickup, is how you can pitch it to a reporter. Give a reporter a viable story that doesn’t simply focus on that brand/company, but rather, a broader trend, and you might get something valuable in return.

By: Green Party NZ

Green Party NZ — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 23:15:00 +0000

Yes, it’s clear that press releases don’t work well in many cases.

But what do you suggest can replace it as a way of getting mainstream news coverage? By that I mean print and TV, not online.

By: Die, News Release, Die! « Elasticity

Die, News Release, Die! « Elasticity — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 21:49:10 +0000

[...] we’ve written on our blog prior, news releases are, well, kind of dumb and should die. Reporters don’t read them nor [...]

By: JillPR

JillPR — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 20:03:04 +0000

This reminds me of when I was in PR school. My friend and I had both previously graduated from journalism a few years back, and our heads almost exploded when they told us we could make up quotes. At least they made sure those quotes were a bit meatier than “We’re so very excited here at X Corp blah blah”.

What would you suggest take the place of the news release? I know journalists are pressed for time, but PR people often are too. I don’t have time to call every news org. in town (and frankly I suspect they’d hate that.) So what’s the solution? Just make it much shorter/to the point, or do any with it in favour of…what?

By: CLAUDIA

CLAUDIA — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 19:28:07 +0000

in terms of getting coverage of the actual “news” in the release, you are absolutely right. But ever since we went electronic, I’ve welcomed releases(as long as they never, ever, ever led to a follow-up phone call!). Why? Because I would put them into an electronic subject file. I remember, a few years back, starting an electronic collecting file on chief environmental officers. Whenever I got a release mentioning that title, I put it in the file. Once I had critical mass of companies, I did a big feature on the hottest new C-Suite job. Those press releases gave me my sources. So keep ‘em comin’, boys, knowing we won’t read them, but we may well not spike them either.