In this particular part of the book, I learned more about press releases than I had known before. I knew where they originated but I did not know it took until 2006 for the release of the first media news release template.
In my opinion, thank goodness for this template and thank goodness for news releases. The bashing of news releases by Tom Foremski. He claims, "Press releases are nearly useless. They typically start with a tremendous amount of top-spin, they contain pat-on-the-back phrases and meaningless quotes."
This is a very untrue and unfair statement. There are many instances where a press release has saved a company or organization's tush in a crisis. Take the Malaysian Airlines crises that happened somewhat recently. There are many news releases that went out that provided families and friends of the lost airline passengers on flight MH370 with information about what was going on with the search.
This is a webpage that holds the press releases that were released about the malaysian airlines flight MH370. The press releases do not contain top-spin. They do contain "pat-on-the-back phrases" but only necessary ones. Some of them include thanks to other organizations and countries that have been helping to search for the aircraft. There are zero meaningless quotes in these press releases.
Without press releases, there would be less attendance at events, even important events that benefit people with donations for example. Press releases can serve many purposes. Since the time of Ivy Lee, press releases have helped change the world and how people view instances that occur. I understand things may have been different in 2006 when Foremski wrote his critique, but I still cannot understand why he would have said this.
I agree press releases are important in our profession and that it is a necessity. Like you said they give much needed information and without them for special events there are no way possible that we could get the information and have an attendance for the event.
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