Press releases as a hybrid genre

Inaccuracies and exaggerations (Health Coverage)

Ivy Lee, the founder of public relations Here's a bit of trivia: the press release was born on October 28, 1906. It was written by Ivy Lee and reported the news of a train wreck in Atlantic City, NJ that left more than 50 people dead (Kennedy, 2010). The New York Times was so impressed by the release they printed it verbatim. While that rarely happens anymore, press releases are still a mainstay of the public relations industry as a way to share information with the public. For many of these examples, you may have a public relations department that will do the work for you; still, having a working knowledge of what goes in a press release can be helpful so that you can make sure that the information you believe is most important is conveyed to the public. I'll be honest—as an editor, I probably receive a dozen press releases every day and most of them are deleted unread. Still, there is usually one that catches my eye and I will flag it to share with others. Outlets available to me include the news section of my journal, CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing, and the blog I help maintain for the International Academy of Nursing Editors (INANE). I will also share news on my Facebook page (if my friends are bored with nursing news, they haven't said so) and on Twitter. Press releases follow an industry format and if you don't abide by that, you have just increased your chances of it going into the trash exponentially. The following template illustrates exactly how you should write your press release. I have added notes so you can avoid common mistakes. The headline will be the first thing the editor/reporter sees in his/her inbox, so if it doesn't grab their attention, the rest of the release will not be read. I really don't care that Joe Somebody has been named Vice President of Sales for Some other Company, but I get an amazing number of releases that are written exactly this way. Instead, be direct and to the point in less than 10 words (5 are better). Don't use jargon and avoid flowery adjectives. Here are three that are in my inbox right now that I would consider effective headlines: Back in the day, press releases were all sent by mail, then we moved to faxes, and now email reigns supreme. Even though your press release is being sent by email, note that the format (described above) has not changed from much from what used to be sent in the days of paper. For distribution, it is best to work with resources that are available to you, such as the public relations department in your university, hospital, or publisher, to send out your release. This group should have well-maintained and carefully curated recipient email lists that are relevant to you and your news. Even if you accept the fact that the vast majority of people will not read beyond the headline, if your release is distributed widely to an appropriate list, you can be assured that at least a handful of people will contact you (or the contact person) to follow up. Also, public relations departments will have the proper procedures in place to send out a mass emailing that will not be identified as spam. While spam decreased in 2013 by 2.5%, it still accounts for almost 70% of email flows (Barrett, 2014) and managing spam is a major Internet issue. If you must do it yourself, then I would suggest using a company such as eReleases or PRNewswire to distribute your press release for you. These types of companies distribute to hundreds of thousands of email addresses and if your release is fairly specialized, then there is the very real chance that it will get trashed by 99.9% of its recipients. Still, if it gets into the hands of a few key people who are interested in your information, you can count this as a success. What about a service such as MailChimp? MailChimp is not a press release distribution service; they envision that their customers are sending out newsletters. However, with MailChimp you can create a personalized email distribution list and send your document, which may include elements of a press release, written in newsletter format, to your personally curated mailing list. Using MailChimp protects you, the sender, from being identified as a spammer and ensures that your mailing abides by the regulations of the Can Spam Act of 2003 (Federal Trade Commission, 2009). MailChimp provides reports that allow you to see how many people received and opened your email, how many messages bounced, how many recipients unsubscribed, and how many readers followed any links included in your message. Finally, if you send a limited number of emails (12,000 per month) to a limited number of subscribers (less than 2,000), then MailChimp is free. This might be a realistic way to determine if sending email blasts of news and information is an effective strategy for your publicity efforts. Press releases are a time-honored way of sharing news with the media. While some may consider them a dinosaur, the three major PR distribution companies sent out approximately 642,000 press releases in 2013, which works out to about 1769 releases per day (Hoffman, 2014). Perhaps this is a lot of white noise that gets lost in the day-to-day business of the Internet. But if you would like to take a try at sharing news or innovations using a press release, I hope this article has provided some tips and suggestions to help you avoid common mistakes and give you a head start on being successful. Leslie H. Nicoll, PhD, MBA, RN, FAAN is the Editor-in-Chief of Nurse Author & Editor and Editor-in-Chief of CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing. She is the owner of Maine Desk, LLC headquartered in Portland, ME.

Objective To determine whether the quality of press releases issued by medical journals can influence the quality of associated newspaper stories.Design Retrospective cohort study of medical journal press releases and...

Full edition for scientific use. The AUTNES coding of party press releases covers all press releases that were issued by parties gaining at least two percent of the votes in the national elections in 2002. The coding procedure applies the AUTNES relational approach of recording subjects, predicates, and objects to press releases. The subject is the person or party that features as the sender of the message in the title of the press release. There are two types of objects: issues and object actors. Issues are recorded by coders selecting from the AUTNES issue coding scheme the one issue that fits the content of the press release’s title best. The issue predicate numerically records whether the subject’s position towards the issue is one of support, rejection, or conveys a neutral/ambivalent stance. This procedure (coding of predicate and issue) is repeated for the subtitle of the press release. Up to three object actors are recorded from the information in the title of the press release, each with their name (if an individual is present) and organisational affiliation, as well as the evaluation by the subject actor (positive, negative or neutral). In addition to the basic subject–predicate–object structure we code four more variables: character traits for all object actors, party records for all subject and object actors, justifications for issue statements, and the incident that triggered the press release. Variables: party authoring the press release; sender (the three-letter APA channel through which the press release was sent); keywords of the press release; title; subtitle; text; name of first and second subject actor; organisational affiliation of these subject actors; reference to subject actor’s record; issue of title and subtitle; issue predicate of title and subtitle (position towards the coded issue of title and subtitle); reference of title and subtitle to policy at the EU level; justification of issue; up to three object actors: name and organisational affiliation; object actor predicates (the relation between the subject and each object actor as support, criticism/rejection, or neutral); reference to object actor’s record; reference to object actor’s attributes; trigger variables: arena in which the press release was triggered; name and organisational affiliation of the individual who triggered the press release; bipartisan press release (press release was issued in by politicians from two different parties). Additionally coded was: ID of individual press releases; coder-ID.

Previous studies indicate that in published reports, trial results can be distorted by the use of "spin" (specific reporting strategies, intentional or unintentional, emphasizing the beneficial effect of the experimental treatment). We aimed to (1) evaluate the presence of "spin" in press releases and associated media coverage; and (2) evaluate whether findings of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) based on press releases and media coverage are misinterpreted. We systematically searched for all press releases indexed in the EurekAlert! database between December 2009 and March 2010. Of the 498 press releases retrieved and screened, we included press releases for all two-arm, parallel-group RCTs (n = 70). We obtained a copy of the scientific article to which the press release related and we systematically searched for related news items using Lexis Nexis. "Spin," defined as specific reporting strategies (intentional or unintentional) emphasizing the beneficial effect of the experimental treatment, was identified in 28 (40%) scientific article abstract conclusions and in 33 (47%) press releases. From bivariate and multivariable analysis assessing the journal type, funding source, sample size, type of treatment (drug or other), results of the primary outcomes (all nonstatistically significant versus other), author of the press release, and the presence of "spin" in the abstract conclusion, the only factor associated, with "spin" in the press release was "spin" in the article abstract conclusions (relative risk [RR] 5.6, [95% CI 2.8-11.1], p < 0.001). Findings of RCTs based on press releases were overestimated for 19 (27%) reports. News items were identified for 41 RCTs; 21 (51%) were reported with "spin," mainly the same type of "spin" as those identified in the press release and article abstract conclusion. Findings of RCTs based on the news item was overestimated for ten (24%) reports. "Spin" was identified in about half of press releases and media coverage. In multivariable analysis, the main factor associated with "spin" in press releases was the presence of "spin" in the article abstract conclusion.

A Guide to Preparing Cost-Effective Press Releases is an instructional approach to writing and effectively using the press release. It offers suggestions and recommendations for creating basic press releases and details how the release can extend the life of an ad campaign, providing high degree publicity at low cost.In an age of great emphasis on high performance, cost effectiveness, measurable success, and fast results, this book explains how a well-developed press release program can &#8220;super charge&#8221; an advertising program. Robert Loeffler reviews the basics of press release writing, gives several examples of successful press releases, and explains in detail how the reader can set up an ongoing press release program to provide a high degree of effective publicity at very low cost. As a major form of communication for businesses, public and private institutions, and the government, the press release is a tailor-made promotional tool for both large and small budgets. Loeffler discusses the mechanics of writing press releases, providing the press release writer with:a diagrammed writing approach for clear structurea list of do's and don'ts to prevent common errorssamples of the most common types of releasesa step-by-step explanation of release production, so as not to overlook important tasks for completionsuggestions on how to write related releases, such as tradeshow press kitsExperienced in-house communications and PR writers, nonprofit PR staffs, government and military public affairs staffs, and advertising agency writers will find Loeffler's book a handy reference for polishing press release writing skills. College undergraduate classes in journalism, technical writing, and business communication will find A Guide to Preparing Cost-Effective Press Releases a useful tool in learning the fundamentals of press release writing.

Objective: To assess the characteristics of medical research that is press released by general medical journals and reported in newspapers.Design: Longitudinal study.Data sources: All original research articles published in Lancet...

BackgroundExaggerated or simplistic news is often blamed for adversely influencing public health. However, recent findings suggested many exaggerations were already present in university press releases, which scientists approve. Surprisingly, these exaggerations were not associated with more news coverage. Here we test whether these two controversial results also arise in press releases from prominent science and medical journals. We then investigate the influence of mitigating caveats in press releases, to test assumptions that caveats harm news interest or are ignored.Methods and FindingsUsing quantitative content analysis, we analyzed press releases (N = 534) on biomedical and health-related science issued by leading peer-reviewed journals. We similarly analysed the associated peer-reviewed papers (N = 534) and news stories (N = 582). Main outcome measures were advice to readers and causal statements drawn from correlational research. Exaggerations in press releases predicted exaggerations in news (odds ratios 2.4 and 10.9, 95% CIs 1.3 to 4.5 and 3.9 to 30.1) but were not associated with increased news coverage, consistent with previous findings. Combining datasets from universities and journals (996 press releases, 1250 news), we found that when caveats appeared in press releases there was no reduction in journalistic uptake, but there was a clear increase in caveats in news (odds ratios 9.6 and 9.5 for caveats for advice and causal claims, CIs 4.1 to 24.3 and 6.0 to 15.2). The main study limitation is its retrospective correlational nature.ConclusionsFor health and science news directly inspired by press releases, the main source of both exaggerations and caveats appears to be the press release itself. However we find no evidence that exaggerations increase, or caveats decrease, the likelihood of news coverage. These findings should be encouraging for press officers and scientists who wish to minimise exaggeration and include caveats in their press releases.

Scientific journals issue press releases to disseminate scientific news about articles they publish. To assess whether press releases about journal articles were associated with publication of subsequent newspaper stories. Retrospective content analysis of newspaper stories, journal press releases, and journal tables of contents. From December 1, 1996, to February 28, 1997, press releases and tables of contents were collected from BMJ, Nature, Science, and The Lancet, along with newspaper stories on scientific research published in The New York Times (United States), Le Figaro and Le Monde (France), El País and La Vanguardia (Spain), La Repubblica (Italy), and the International Herald Tribune. Number of newspaper stories that contained reference to articles appearing in the 4 scientific journals, number of newspaper stories that referred to journal articles described in press releases, and the order in which journal articles were mentioned in press releases. Of the 1060 newspaper stories analyzed, 142 referred to journal articles; of these, 119 (84%) referred to articles mentioned in press releases and 23 (16%) referred to journal articles not mentioned in press releases (comparison of proportions, P=.03). Articles described first or second were referenced in more newspapers than articles described later in the press release (P=.01 by chi2 analysis). Journal articles described in press releases, in particular those described first or second in the press release, are associated with the subsequent publication of newspaper stories on the same topic.

Results from high-profile randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are routinely reported through press release months prior to peer-reviewed publication. There are potential benefits to press releases (e.g., knowledge dissemination, ensuring regulatory compliance), but also potential drawbacks (e.g., selective reporting, positive "spin"). To characterize the practice of press release predating the publication of a drug-related RCT in a peer-reviewed journal ("preemptive press release"), including factors associated with this practice. We systematically reviewed all RCTs of medications published between 2015 and 2019 in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), and Lancet. Press releases were identified using a systematic search of the grey literature (e.g., press release databases, study sponsor websites). An RCT was considered to have a preemptive press release if the press release was published at least three months (90days) prior to the date of publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Presence of preemptive press release, defined as a press-release at least 90days prior to the date of publication in a peer-reviewed journal. As secondary measures for dissemination, we also assessed citation count and Altmetric score. We identified 988 RCTs, of which 172 (17%) had a press release published at least 90days before the date of peer-reviewed publication. Press releases were published a median of 246days (interquartile range [IQR] 169-366days) before publication in a peer-reviewed journal. In the multivariable logistic regression model, the strongest predictor of having a preemptive press release was funding by a pharmaceutical company (odds ratio 13, 95% CI 7, 25). Approximately 85% of RCTs with preemptive press releases had a positive primary outcome and, concordantly, 81% of the corresponding press releases had a positive headline. Multivariable regression models identified studies with a preemptive press release had a similar Altmetric score (median - 15, 95% CI - 33, 12) and higher median citation count (median 22 [95% CI 10 to 33] compared to studies without a preemptive press release. Preemptive press releases were common, most often issued for trials funded by a pharmaceutical company, and typically preceded publication in a peer-reviewed journal by approximately eight months.

The article aims. The purpose of the article is to review and systematization of key trends in writing and distributing press releases in the digital environment. Analyses results. Today, the effectiveness of a press release is determined not only by its content and structure, but also by how well it is adapted to the realities of the digital media space and social networks, as well as how personalized the approach to communication with journalists and opinion leaders is. In an era of information overload, when every journalist and blogger receives hundreds of messages every day, standard press release mailings often go unnoticed. A personalized approach is needed that increases the chances of publication and helps build long-term, high-quality relationships with media representatives. In the digital space, a press release ceases to be a static text and evolves into an interactive multimedia format. This involves the active use of multimedia elements: adding not only high-quality photos and videos, but also integrating audio recordings, animated graphics, interactive elements (infographics), presentations and even video content. Thanks to interactivity and multimedia, a press release ceases to be a one-sided message and turns into a full-fledged element of a communication strategy. A social press release is defined as a format specifically designed to maximize the capabilities of social media, blogs, forums, and other online channels. In addition to the main news story of the company and quotes from its representatives, a social press release should include links to previous media mentions on the relevant topic, links to corporate blogs and podcasts, embedded YouTube videos, links to online customer communities, and other relevant resources. The use of AI greatly simplifies the work of a public relations specialist, including when preparing press releases. However, the human factor remains key to creating quality content. Influencer marketing continues to evolve, and a key trend in public relations is actively collaborating with nano- and micro-influencers. This approach is proving particularly valuable for brands looking to engage with a well-defined niche audience and build authentic, trusting relationships with them. Rather than relying on the broad but often less engaged reach that macro-influencers provide, brands are increasingly choosing to partner with thought leaders who have smaller but more loyal and engaged audiences that resonate with their values. Recent years have shown that consumers increasingly value companies that don’t just talk about important social issues, but actually put their values into practice. This trend has only intensified in 2025. It’s no longer enough for businesses to make formal statements – audiences expect concrete actions and evidence of a responsible approach. In the field of press releases, this means a change of emphasis: instead of abstract phrases about supporting certain initiatives, brands should demonstrate real cases, social projects and achievements. It is important that any appeal to the audience has a clear social subtext and reflects the true mission of the company. Conclusions and directions for further research. Rapid digitalization is radically changing approaches to public relations, and press releases are no exception. The changes have affected the appearance and platforms for their distribution. They are published on websites, social networks, blogs, etc. It is important to select precisely those digital platforms that will help the company achieve the highest quality coverage of the target audience. Instead of mass mailings, personalization comes to the fore. To attract users' attention, press releases become interactive and multimedia, engaging with visual content. Today, it is not enough to simply report the news - it is important to tell it in a way that touches the heart. That is why the press release format is gaining popularity, including photos, videos, infographics and giving journalists ready-made materials for publication. Artificial intelligence simplifies routine tasks, but it will not replace creativity and emotional intelligence. Brands are increasingly working with nano- and micro-influencers, as they have a closer connection with their audience. Companies are also focusing more on business ethics and social responsibility, as people expect not only beautiful words, but also real actions.

ObjectivesTo examine how often study funding and author conflicts of interest are stated in science and health press releases and in corresponding news; and whether disclosure in press releases is...

Misrepresentation of mild traumatic brain injury research in press releases.

The Journal: Facts and Features

Scientists and journalists try to engage the public with exciting stories, but who is guilty of overselling research and what are the consequences?