4.2: The Difference Between a News Story and a Press Release

The same basic techniques, especially use of the inverted pyramid, are used to write many press releases. But a press release is not a news story. It has a different objective.

The news story seeks to provide the public with objective information that reports all sides of an event or a development. The press release, on the other hand, seeks to promote the client’s interests. That’s not to say the writer of a press release lies. But if he is promoting a new brand of Coca-Cola, he has no obligation to call up the media relations person at Pepsi and ask for Pepsi’s comment about the product. That’s the job of a news reporter.

Notice the first words of this press release are the name of the agency. And notice the first words of this press release by Sen. Ben Cardin are not the major action – President Biden’s signature of legislation removing the bust of the author of the Dred Scott decision from public display in the U.S. Capitol – but rather the names of two U.S. senators. Same thing on this press release by a major trade association. The first words in the release are the name of the association, not what’s new in the updated code, but rather the name of the trade association. And notice this release, which features the name of the automaker, not the artist’s vision. (The lead paragraph is entirely too long, by the way).

There is absolutely nothing wrong with a press release beginning with the name of the client. Who does something is important. But often equally important – or more important – is the action being taken or responded to. Putting the name of the individual or group at the start of the release serves a couple of important objectives:

First, it tells the reader or the editor how seriously they should take this particular release. Suppose my release praising President Biden for signing the legislation removing Dred Scott’s bust arrived at the same time Sen. Cardin’s release on the same topic arrived. Whose release do you think is more likely to get in the paper or trigger an assignment editor sending a crew out to film a package about the action, a package which, of course, would include the names of the Senators?

Second, and equally or perhaps more important from the standpoint of a public relations client, the release helps increase name recognition of the client. Here’s a New York City Council candidate explaining why name recognition is important to a local politician:

Ken Biberaj on How to Build Name Recognition Running for Office

And here’s an interesting take n how Apple and Nike have branded your brain:

How Apple and Nike have branded your brain | Your Brain on Money | Big Think

To a significant extent, brand recognition is extremely important in business and in politics. That’s why most press releases start with the name of the client.

How do you decide whether to use earned media, paid media or owned media for any one part of a p.r. campaign?

Using earned media is a gamble. On the particular day your release arrives, will it be a “quiet” news day? If you expect it to be quiet, your release stands a better chance of getting in the paper or on the air. You also run the risk that a reporter will use your release as the foundation for a story that veers off in another direction, and your client may not get any exposure at all. But earned media does give you the imprimatur of the print, broadcast or online media.

Your release may not be likely to be printed because it doesn’t meet the criteria of news, but you are certain it would be of interest to that publication’s readers or station’s viewers. Take a look at this e-mail newsletter from The Wall Street Journal. You’ll notice that it’s sponsored by Indeed. Notice also in the middle of it is “Content from our sponsor.”

Click on “Learn More” and you’ll find an interesting article telling employers who need workers that “hiring job seekers with a criminal record can be the right move.” Would employers who read the Journal find this interesting? You bet. Does it read like a news story or feature, perhaps even one you would find in the Journal? Yes. Would the Journal print a story by its own reporter that was this long? Not likely. If it did, would a WSJ-reported story only mention Indeed? Absolutely not. Would the WSJ reporter seek to find at least one “justice-impacted” hire that went awry? Absolutely.

Notice also that this advertorial is straightforward about what it is. At the top of the article itself it says, “Paid Program – What’s This.” (Click on What’s This and you learn this content was created by the WSJ adverting department and the WSJ news organization was not involved in its creation.) The section of the newsletter where you link to the article is headed “Content from Our Sponsor: Indeed.”

Not all publications that run this type of material make sure readers know the difference between paid and earned content, and not all advertisers would agree to the Journal’s terms.

So, what does Indeed get out of paying for the Journal to include this article in its “Careers & Leadership” e-newsletter? It’s able to position itself as a leader in the fair chance hiring movement; no competitor’s name is mentioned, and it further implants its name as a hiring agency to look to if you’re an employer who needs talent. And it gets readers who it can be sure have an interest in the subject.

Running this sort of content in a newspaper or online would seem to be ideal. Sometimes. But maybe the company wants to target people who live within a certain distance of a facility, and maybe the local newspaper can provide that type of targeting. That’s one example of where owned media would be ideal.

Amtrak and many airlines produce magazines for their riders. The magazine tells the reader about interesting things of do or see in destination cities, give news of interest to consumers and may include a profile of a crew member. Likewise, many hospitals produce magazines that include accounts of successful procedures done at that hospital by one of its doctors. These are examples of owned media being used to reach a segment of the public.

Another place where owned media comes into play is reaching employees or stockholders or customers.

The key to success with owned media and with paid media is that the articles need to be written in a dispassionate tone, be interesting, and be informative.