Comments on: Press Releases Suck

By: Jackson Fish Market

Jackson Fish Market — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 15:33:41 +0000

[...] “Seriously, someone help me out and tell me the purpose for them. I am going insane over here.” [...]

By: Devin

Devin — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 03:55:07 +0000

I agree. I like Feedburner’s hybrid style. They kinda “talk” about what they just released.

By: Montoya

Montoya — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 16:26:38 +0000

Partly in response to what Devin said, any company that does press releases should have a /press/ section on their site. Pushing everything onto the blog is just being careless.

By: Thomas Baekdal

Thomas Baekdal — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 08:08:41 +0000

The purpose of press releases has long been outdated – even before we got blogs. They try to tell the facts the way marketing sees it (and at times from the legal perpective too).

Any press releases, no matter where it is released, should be more informally styled. Plain English language, to the point, no CEO quotes (unless it is about the CEO specifically) and no marketese what so ever. As far as legal goes – if you tell the truth, then it is as legally sound as the formal style.

This way the journalists likes it, the investors likes it, we might like it and it may even be usable on a blog.

By: Cyprus Blog Network / Press releases vs. blogs

Cyprus Blog Network / Press releases vs. blogs — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 07:09:29 +0000

[...] Scrivs asks an interesting question over at Wisdump: In this world of digital media why in the hell would people create press releases and push them on their own blogs? [...]

By: Rick Turoczy

Rick Turoczy — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 23:29:26 +0000

As anyone who has worked in the world of public companies knows, press releases serve a very specific legal function for most companies. A press release crossing the wire has become the most accepted way of making private information public. This is that so-called “full disclosure” when insider information is no longer insider.

Now, given that most press releases are written in the same officious language I used above, it would make sense if the blog entry used the press release as a launching point for a “what we’re really saying in plain English (or whatever language)” conversation with the people who care enough to read the blog.

Of course, we also know that the only people reading press releases are the competition. (Most media get the release through a pitch.) So they have also become a vehicle to scare the competitors. Oooh. Scary.

All of this pontificating to say I think press releases could be a really interesting launch point for a blog entry, but I agree that they shouldn’t be the entry, themselves.

By: Ellsworth

Ellsworth — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 22:48:53 +0000

Press releases could be revamped if you ask me. Making them more presentable is an all around good idea.

However, I don’t see the big deal in posting a press release in full or in part on a blog. Why it that a big deal? I think it could be used effectively if they were to give focused reasons as to why they, personally, believed the change to be good for the company. I could see them putting it in there to take advantage of the feed syndication as well. A blog is not a single point on the internet, like the press page, when it broadcasts to multiple users.

“Press Releases kill any need for conversation due to how formal they are.” This seems a little ridiculous. Every blog or news site across the internet translates the official release into a blog type format and then discusses it. Why can’t it start with the source and still end with users posting comments?

By: Devin

Devin — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 22:16:27 +0000

I think, but can’t confirm, that most sites that do this don’t have a company.com/press/ page. Instead they have the blog. A chronological archive of outward statements? Sounds like both a press page and a blog if you look at it that (their) way, right?

By: Justin Ruckman

Justin Ruckman — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 22:00:32 +0000

I almost just made this mistake. Perfect timing.

By: Jesper

Jesper — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 20:13:24 +0000

From personal experience (I’m a journalism major working as a PR-professional) I know, that press releases that are published on a companys own website have a higher rate of succes than press releases mailed directly to the media.

The logic seems to be that the journalists feel that they have ‘found’ a story themselves and therefore lend it more weight (this of course assumes that the journalists visit your site from time to time).

Placing the press release on the blog part of your site does seem a little odd though. It would sort it under news and subtly mention it on the blog.