Everything's a Press Release

Tom Foremski says: "Die! Press release! Die! Die! Die!".

Kevin Duggan responds: "It's the content, not the format, that's the problem."

Enough! Everything is a press release.

When Scoble talks about Microsoft, it's a release for the press.

When I talk about Edelman, it's a release for the press.

When Todd blogs about IBM and Xenon atoms, it's a release for the press.

When Donald Trump blogs about Martha Stewart, it's a release for the press.

My point here is, everyone's blogging for a reason. Many of us, although not all, are selling something and when we blog it's released not just to the public but to the press as well. So can we stop the blog vs. press release debate? Everything is a press release, even if it's not formatted that way.

(Image courtesy of Dr. Duggan)

Technorati Tags: press+releases, blogs

Comments

[Drew Olanoff]

The "Everything's a Press Release" technique/approach is one that can and should catch on. Companies are afraid to put out press releases sometimes either because of cost or because of lack of effectiveness (real or perceived). I've seen that "gun-shy" issue pop up a lot. The use of a blog as your own press hub is a trend I'm hoping will continue to rise.

[Todd Defren]

Hi Steve-

I didn't see Foremski's rant as "press release vs. blog" so much as a plea to reformat the press release format to take advantage of "PR 2.0" opportunities, i.e., "Tell the story with links, not vapid puffery."

We took a shot at re-formatting a release "Foremski-style" at PR Squared (http://pr-squared.blogspot.com), and I gotta say it has its merits.

Carry it one step further and you could see a "press release" of this type including trackbacks to blog posts that could give the reporters more "flavor" when considering how to tackle a new story.

(Imagine a day when an influential blogger gets a sneak preview of a new product and is encouraged to blog about it before the MSM gets to see it? Interesting times ahead...)

[Shel Holtz]

They may all be releases for the press, Steve, but they're not official statements of record that can be searched in an online pressroom by a reporter trying to identify what the company's official position was two years ago. The damn press release still has value.

[Mike]

Maybe it's not so much the press release that's dead, but the one-way happytalk of the press release that's dead.

[Phil Gomes]

This recurring topic fails to recognize that the so-called "press release" stopped being about "the press" a long time ago. Often times, the phrase "news release" is stretching it... a lot.

[Jeremy Pepper]

Dugan. But, hey, you spelled Foremski right this time.

But, you fail to grasp that not everyone should be blogging either. Blogging is not for everyone, nor is it for every corporation. And, well, press releases have their uses and values, but need to be better written.

[Mike Driehorst]

While you are right in the general, broad sense that every public comment, typing, communication, etc., is a "press release," please don't muddy the waters with trying to change definitions.

Maybe that's not your intent. We get the point, and realize the different ways to release news to the media.

But, for these discussions, a press release -- my preference is a news release, but same thing -- is a press release.
Mike

[Carlo Odello]

I agree, everything is a press release because everything you do assumes an official meaning. That is because of your role: you are the content and it just get shaped by different means, the press release is just one of them.

[Todd Van Hoosear]

If you manage any aspect of the PR process for a public, US-based company, please consider taking no more than 5-6 minutes of your time to fill out a short survey on how your company is currently using press releases: http://www.questionpro.com/akira/TakeSurvey?id=508372.

I'll share the results on my blog.