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 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."

Amen, sister. I love this. Yes, it's time we question the security blanket we've held onto for far too long - the press release. Some PR people cling to press releases like Linus holds his blue blanket. Now before you go hootin' and a hollerin' , let me say that press releases are a necessary part of our business - for now. However, my feeling is that some PR people rely on Old Faithful too often instead of pushing the envelope. As journalism and marketing evolve into a conversation, unidirectional channels won't work with the same bite they once had.

Back in February 2004 when CooperKatz helped the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) launch their blogs we could have easily sat back and counseled them to stick only with press releases. It was working. But we didn't. We pushed the envelope with blogs. And it clicked. While we didn't give up press releases entirely, the blog certainly reduced our need to use them. What's more, it opened up new avenues for media coverage. One of Dan Jaffe's blog posts was republished in Broadcasting and Cable as a byline. In fact, the editors approached the ANA. Not vice versa.

Now blogging is just one approach. Like Amy says, blogs don't cure cancer. So who's up for Amy's challenge? Let's break out of our doldrums.

Comments

[Jeremy Pepper]

Just like Linus used his blanket for more than just security, as a devoted Peanuts fan I know that he used it as a weapon as needed. Press releases are a weapon too, not just a security tool.

But, any PR firm or PR department that relies just on press releases - just like any firm that relies just on blogs - is going to be a spectacular failure for missing the point of a good communications plan that includes everything from RSS-enabled press rooms to media outreach to public relations, plus more.

[B.L. Ochman]

This post reads like a press release for Cooper Katz.

[Steve Rubel]

Ha - no BL. It's really meant to be an illustration. Otherwise it's just my rant.

[Amy Gahran]

So... what surprises me is that I still haven't heard any PR folks (aside from you, Steve) come up with specific alternate options for communicating with the news media and the public in ways that do not involve press releases.

Where's all that creativity which the PR profession is supposed to possess in abundance? I'm really puzzled by the fearful, uncreative reaction to my challenge so far. Is the thought of doing without press releases really so difficult?

- Amy Gahran
Editor, CONTENTIOUS

[B.L. Ochman]

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

I am about to update that article with some new guidelines.
B.L. Ochman

[Robert French]

Amy, you may write in a blog. You may write about blogs. But, your comment above says that you must not read PR blogs. There are more than 200 of them.

Please visit http://www.bloglines.com/public/prblogs/

The discussion about how to use a myriad of tactics and channels to interact with media has been going for years - in blogs. It is still going on today. Go read them, please. Then, I doubt you can honestly say that there is a "fearful, uncreative reaction to my challenge". The reality is, they thought of it before you did. The many ongoing discussions show that, reather than just reacting, they are still refining the best practices.

[Jon Rice]

I write lots of press releases for my company. Know why? Because magazine editors are usually too busy and/or lazy to edit them. This means that I can get almost any sales message I like across to the reader, without having to pay for the advertising. Although the blog has its place, it can be no substitute for making the press do your hard work for you.