The press release is dead; yet it continues to be one of the main vehicles of corporate communications. New forms have emerged such as the news release, as online marketers recognise the benefits of the old PR staple. As marketing pundit David Meerman Scott puts it in The New Rules of Marketing and PR:

“The Internet has made public relations public again, after years of almost exclusive focus on media. Blogs, online video, news releases, and other forms of web content let organizations communicate directly with buyers.”

Especially for small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs), the news release provides a cost effective, easy to manage comms tactic to market themselves on the web. But it also opens a can of worms with regards to the traditional rules and etiquette of media relations and distribution. Understanding the pros and cons of the news release strategy helps organisations balance PR objectives with broader marketing goals.
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