The problem with press releases
– Worth doing, but no news guarantee
Most business involves selling a scarce resource. Generally, the business offering is enriched or cheapened by availability. Lots of similar stuff and prices drop, and vice versa. Seasonal produce is a good example of this tipping scale
Strange to some it may seem, but the business of news follows the same rules. Value of the news product rises when the publisher leads the news or reports it exclusively.
Conversely, ‘news’ is largely valueless when someone else has reported it.
A media release by nature is a statement released by a self-interested party to a number of media outlets.
When your media release arrives in a journalist’s email inbox they rightfully assume that it’s been widely distributed.
So, then, why would they report it (unless you’d done something really naughty or cured cancer)?
Usually they don’t, because with the very act of ‘release’ news value evaporates. The story is in the wild.
By all means write a press release when you have something newsworthy to say. It’s a good exercise for distilling facts, capturing supporting views of story stakeholders, and finding a story hook. But forget about actual release.
The best approach to securing news is to directly approach the right journalist. Get on the phone and tell them what’s happened. If they like the sound of it give them the press release and work in the background to prep and make available your supporting cast. This is where a PR agency is most helpful.
