In the past press releases were submitted by hand and there was no other way of getting the information about an event, a product release, or any other major issue. People would submit a press release to engage the attention. If the editor liked your press release only then he would publish your news. Today, in the age of mobile phones and computers, the media has also become very fast. The question rises if press releases are dead in this modern age?
Are press releases dead?
We can say that the press release is dead in terms of that go-to central public relations tool that broadcasts news over the web and drops it into every single reporter’s mailbox. That just is simply not the way the news travels anymore. What keeps the press release thriving is the SEC and something called “fair disclosure“. Most publicly operated companies still use the press release of the newswire service to get the news out there in ways that do not make them run afoul of the SEC.
Press releases haven’t been particularly good in generating quality received media for quite some time. Though, for a while, they were very famous search engine optimization tools. Keyword-stuffed releases could drive search ranking even if they were never picked up by a single media outlet. But Google caught on to this search hack. Press releases with the only purpose of driving SEO or getting “picked up” in bulk by media are indeed helpless. But don’t rule them out completely. They do still complete some valuable PR strategies. For one, public companies are instructed to use press releases to connect and share information.
How the press release is surviving?
The press release is still very much alive in the logic that it is a significant tool for reporters who are short of time and long on deadlines to be able to rapidly and briefly vet a news declaration and comprehend its newsworthiness and how it applies to their audience. So, it’s very important to write a press release and that feature of the press release is still very much alive and thriving. It’s the approaches by which that they’re being dispersed that, in my mind and my view, is dead. The wire cannot help you as there is way too much noise out there on the Internet and search engines do not care about press releases, they spot them down.
What is the status of the press release?
The press release is standing the test of time. They may be old-fashioned and some even say they’re outdated but the truth is press release is not dead. Don’t believe the pessimists. Press releases are the best way to get the message out there especially when you have some great news to share. And if and when trouble comes up, it’s best to stay on top of the narrative and shape the story. Many press release sites are working in 2021.
