“Many attempts to communicate are nullified by saying too much.”
– Robert Greenleaf, founder of the Servant Leadership movement
Recently, the value of sending press releases has been questioned. Many feel that they are ineffective and a waste of time. Then again, all it takes is for just one press release to slip through and catch the eye of someone who then runs with your story. It happens all the time!
The truth is that every day, the media is flooded with press releases. Most radio and TV producers don’t read press releases. At best, they glance at them, set aside the few that look interesting, and 
toss out the rest. Producers rarely receive a press release, read it, jump on it, and begin developing it as a feature.
Compared to radio and TV, print journalists generally pay more attention to press releases. However, they also have enormous demands on their time and short attention spans. So, your press release needs to grab them and grab them fast!
Why Send Press Releases?
Good question. Some people believe that press releases are obsolete and that no one actually reads them. True—most press releases are not read thoroughly, but they are scanned. People glance at headlines and bullet points and give most releases a quick once over. So there’s always the chance that yours will grab their attention as long as yours has strong headlines and easily accessible information.
If something in your press release does catch someone’s eye, it may cause him or her to contact you and say, “Hey, what you sent is really interesting. Tell me more about it.” Press releases are intended to stir up interest and generate follow-up calls.
Ironically, media personnel expect and want press releases, even though they won’t thoroughly read them. They are addicted to information; they can’t get enough of it and never want to miss something that could be newsworthy. The media loves to sniff out stories, find needles in haystacks. So, sending press releases is a cost of playing the game.
Target Your Press Release
Press releases should be targeted at the specific audience you want to reach. Releases sent to the print media should differ from those directed to radio and television producers. And releases directed at the consumer vary from those sent to the media. All press releases should provide information quickly, be easy to read, and clearly state the who, what, where, why, and how of your story.
Print Media
The print media can publish press releases, or parts of them with limited changes, and their job is done. They will often augment press releases with quotes and information from their own sources, or even extract key points from your release to use as the basis of their own pieces. Occasionally, because of pressing deadlines, journalists will sometimes run well-written press releases verbatim.
Warning
Avoid repeatedly sending the same press release to the same contacts. A single, well-written press release for each contact is fine—it’s all you need. Don’t send out the same press release every thirty days; it’s a waste. Receiving the same thing over and over again can turn off sources that you hope to cultivate.
– Rick
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