4 replies to this topic

[Tom Philo]

In Dvoark's inside track v25n13 http://www.pcmag.com...,1987522,00.asp

in talking about how many press releases are writen

"Dumbing Down the Public Dept.: The ubiquitous press release now seems to be the number one source of information, according to a disturbing report by a group of researchers studying Web search behavior. Not mentioned in the report is the unusual way in which press releases have bypassed their initial function: to provide basic information to a reporter. . . . . . .. Adding to the problem (and further blocking search engines), many news sites stupidly require registration. Thus the easy-to-access press release that is filled with fluff rises to the top when people conduct a Web search. And thus the public is further buffaloed by malarkey, thanks to media ineptitude. This is not rocket science, folks. "

[Debra]

This comment:

Not mentioned in the report is the unusual way in which press releases have bypassed their initial function: to provide basic information to a reporter. Now these things go directly to the consumer, who probably thinks that they represent true news rather than being puffed-up announce­ments coming directly from the companies

Interesting thought, I wonder why he thinks the release - which is probably written no differently than it was in the past, is somehow less newsworthy to the end user because a reporter doesn't touch it?

Do we really think reporters "fixed" them up to sound better or eliminated the 'puffed-up" parts when they reprinted them? It's all about accuracy with the media so I doubt it, releases have always been about hype.

But more than that, I disagree with this statement :

The ubiquitous press release now seems to be the number one source of information,

He doesn't say to whom, but regardless, I don't think press releases are the number one source of news given the impact the social communities are showing us. There is a lot of power behind places like MySpace and highly specialized communities like PerlMonks

You're more likely to hear about someone in your community from people within it than if you're surfing online.

[Tom Philo]

I can see why he thinks the PR is now written toward the end consumer - RSS feeds. A site can subscribe to the press feeds and display them on a site - and who reads those feeds - end users.

So the people writing the releases are putting in more marketingese to angle toward consumers reading it via RSS and not the traditional base facts to the reporters / news organziations in order to get a story printed.

Maybe the press sites will split into a two tier system where one if it is overtly marketingese it goes out one channel called propaganda and the other goes to true reporters / news organizations.

Naw. Too hard to police.

[Debra]

IMO, press releases have always been propaanda, no matter where they go or whom they target.

They're sent to make announcements and stimulate further investigation..... which won't happen if the annoucement is boring - no matter who it's sent to!

[Tom Philo]

Ah, soo true.

"It was a dark and stormy night . . . "