The press release was developed in 1906 by Ivy Lee, whose agency was employed by the Pennsylvania Railroad.  He wrote it to get the news out about a railroad accident in New Jersey.  The story goes that instead of waiting to see what the newspapers would say about the accident, Lee wrote about the accident and sent it out the newspapers.

While the format of the press release hasn’t changed much in over a hundred years, a lot has. Namely, how the press release is distributed and the media landscape itself. Back in the 1980s, if you wanted to get a press release to an individual reporter quickly or if you wanted to send one out via a wire service, you sent it by way of a fax machine.  In the 2020s, fax machines have gone the way of the typewriter and mimeograph machine and information that needs to go out to the media is either emailed to an individual reporter or sent through a wire service via an online portal. In the midst of all this, many are questioning the usefulness of the press release. 

There are those who say that press releases are obsolete in an age of social media.  If you can get something out via the Internet in a matter of seconds, why even bother contacting the media? From my experience, the press release is not obsolete. In fact, it is as useful now, as it was in 1906.  Here’s why:

Information in a Concise Package

The press release is written in the inverted pyramid style that answers the Who, What, When, Where, Why questions. This is the format favored by the news media. By answering those questions, you are able to create a document that has the information you want to say in a concise format. Sending information to the media that is in a clear, concise format increases the likelihood of it getting picked up and used by the media.

Third Party Validation

When you place an ad or post a message on social media, you control the narrative and are saying, “We’re a great organization.”  When the media runs a story based on a press release you sent them, they are saying “They’re a great organization.”  That is third-party validation.  A press release provides the basic info. Any journalist or media outlet that is interested will contact you for more information, images, and/or quotes. You have less control over the narrative, but you have an objective, third-party writing or talking about you.

Less Speculation & Rumors

What if the news you are sending out isn’t positive, such as the train accident press release that Ivy Lee sent out to the media?  Reaching out to the media with a press release even when the news is bad decreases the amount of speculation and rumors that can go around when negative incidents happen.  You have more control over the narrative if you are creating the narrative. Since you took the initiative to get the news out to the media as quickly as possible, members of the media are less likely to turn to other sources for information about the incident.  When the news is bad, the last thing you want to deal with are reports of rumors and speculation about the incident or your company/organization.

Bloggers Like Them, Too

If you decide to reach out to bloggers, know that they like press releases, as well.  Don’t believe it when anyone says that bloggers don’t like press releases and won’t use them. It has all the information they need, written in a concise and easy to read format.  Reaching out to bloggers with a press release is another way to get your news out.

They are Versatile

Press releases aren’t just for the press. You can post them on your website too.  You can also rework them as blog entries or use parts of a press release in social media posts.  The good thing about putting together a press release is that once it is written you can repurpose the information in many ways to get the word out about your business or organization. 

A press release’s simplicity and conciseness give you a number of options for telling your organization’s story, all of which can help let people know about your organization’s mission, purpose and activities. If you need help with a press release, please contact us. We are press release experts and we can help you get noticed!