Read about how press releases are still alive and well just different. Click here to hear about the ways PR has had to adapt and change in this digital social media world. Learn how to make your press release stand out to journalists in this digital world.
As social media and the internet grows, many facets of journalism and public relations must adapt for better or for worse. If you took a time machine to even just the 1990s, almost no part of either industry would look the same way it did. Though there are many ways PR has changed due to social media and the internet, one important way it has had to change and adapt is through the way press releases are written and sent out.
Why has a press release had to change?:
Some people may believe that social media and the internet would make press releases obsolete, that journalists can get their inside scoops themselves and cut out the middleman. However, that simply is not true. Press releases are still important.
A piece from Growthink entitled “Press release are not DEAD [but different]”, goes into detail about this idea that press releases have not lost relevance, they only need to adapt. The writer Dave Lavinshky said that press releases are alive and well but because it is so easy for anyone to make a press release or contact a journalist it’s more important than ever to not make boring press releases. “Because it has become so easy to create a press release and distribute it, if your release is boring, it may not be worth issuing,” Lavinsky said.
How to make a good press release:
So, the question now is how do you make your press release stand out to journalists so it does not get lost in the crowd. The article from INC. “How to write a press release” talks about how good quality and intriguing information is the best way to stand out.
“If you deluge a news organization with unprofessional or uninteresting releases, your chances of ever getting favorable news coverage are zero-to-slim,” Inc. writer Tim Donnelly said.
Grammar and style:
Firstly, your grammar and style should be correct. I’m a film student and my professor tells us constantly that studios have piles upon piles pitches or scripts. If you don’t have proper screenwriting format, they will throw out your piece even before getting past the title page. The same goes for press releases. Journalists have too much info to sift through already. If they open a press release riddled with basic grammar and style mistakes, they won’t even bother reading it.
Interest:
This might sound basic but it’s true you need to keep your press release interesting. In this digital world where everyone is inundated with almost any information that they want at their fingertips, you have to make what you’re saying stand out. Inc. writer Tim Donnelly explained this as telling the reader why they should care about what you’re saying.
So what does all this mean?:
Press releases are more complicated with social media and the internet, but that does not mean they are dead. PR professionals are now challenged with creating better releases that will stand out to journalists in this digital world that is overwhelmed with information.
Are you a PR professional? If so, let us know in the comments how you deal with this ever-changing nature of press release!
Social Media in PR and Journalism 
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