The Press Release is Dead. Have You Made Peace?

It's true. The "press" release is dead. Actually, it's been dead for quite some time.

While the press release was, once upon a time, actually for the press, for almost a decade, press releases have been readily available on the Internet to anyone searching for information about a particular company or topic. In other words, no longer is the press release a way to communicate only with the media—it's an opportunity for organizations to speak directly to the people they want to reach.

The problem is, many organizations and communications professionals have not updated their approach when it comes to writing the news release or even determining when to issue one.

David Meerman Scott summed it up best when he said, “Millions of people read press releases directly, unfiltered by the media. You need to be speaking directly to them!”

However, a common ongoing struggle for communicators is to convince executives and subject matter experts to let them speak in plain, jargon-free language. For many executives and SMEs, they simply don't realize that the words they use are meaningless/obscure/jargon-filled/you fill in the blank. They are so used to speaking this language they believe it's meaningful. For others, the vagueness provides protection; they realize that making a definitive statement requires commitment and follow through.

A look at some of the language in current press releases (particularly those from technology companies) proves that many communicators are still losing the "clear, concise, jargon-free" argument. News releases touting "flexible, scalable, groundbreaking, cutting-edge solutions from market-leading, paradigm-shifting organizations" are a dime a dozen.

But now that all press releases distributed over news wires are in fact “public” releases, it's more critical than ever that the language used in them be clear and concise. The language you use can't be just for trade press or beat reporters familiar with your industry; it has to be easily understood by prospective employees, potential clients, suppliers, conference organizers, bloggers, local government or community officials, or anyone else who may be looking for your organization or the types of services or products your organization offers.

Copyright © Bon Mot Communications LLC 2008

Permission to Reprint

Want to use an article from The Corporate Communicator in your e-zine, website or other publication? You can, as long as you include the following:

"Reprinted from The Corporate Communicator, a FREE e-zine dedicated to helping professional communicators and business owners communicate more effectively with employees, customers and the media. For access to the best communications tools, tips, research and best practices, subscribe now at www.thecorporatecommunicator.net."