A news release, media release,press release or press statement is a written or recorded communication directed at members of the news media for the purpose of announcing something claimed as having news value. Communication is the process of conveying information from a sender to a receiver with the use of a medium in which the communicated information is understood the same way The news media refers to the section of the Mass media that focuses on presenting current News to the public News is any new information or information on Current events which is presented by print, broadcast, Internet, or Word of mouth Typically, it is mailed, faxed, or e-mailed to assignment editors at newspapers, magazines, radio stations, television stations, and/or television networks. Mail, or post, is a method for transmitting information and tangible objects wherein written Documents typically enclosed in Envelopes and also Fax (short for facsimile, from Latin fac simile, "make similar" i Electronic mail, often abbreviated to e-mail, email, or originally eMail, is a Store-and-forward method of writing sending receiving A newspaper is a written Publication containing News, information and Advertising, usually printed on low-cost paper called Newsprint. Magazines, periodicals or serials are Publications generally published on a regular schedule containing a variety of articles, generally This article is about radio broadcasting for other uses see Radio (disambiguation. A television station is a type of broadcast station that broadcasts both audio and Video to Television receivers in a particular area A television network is a distribution network for Television content whereby a central operation provides programming for many Television stations Commercial press-release distribution services are also used to distribute news releases. Sometimes news releases are sent for the purpose of announcing news conferences. A news conference or press conference is a Media event in which newsmakers invite journalists to hear them speak and most often ask questions

A press release is different from a news article. A news article is a compilation of facts developed by journalists published in the news media, whereas a press release is designed to be sent to journalists in order to encourage them to develop articles on the subject. An article is a stand-alone section of a larger written work These nonfictional Prose compositions appear in Magazines Newspapers Academic journals A journalist (also called a newspaperman) is a person who practices Journalism, the gathering and dissemination of information about current events trends The news media refers to the section of the Mass media that focuses on presenting current News to the public A press release is generally biased towards the objectives of the author.

The use of news releases is common in the field of public relations, the aim of which is to attract favorable media attention to the PR firm's client, and publicity, the aim of which is to attract favorable media attention for products marketed by the clients. Public relations (PR is the practice of managing the flow of Information between an Organization and its Publics Public relations - often referred Publicity is the deliberate attempt to manage the public's perception of a subject In Marketing, a product is anything that can be offered to a Market that might satisfy a want or need

Origins

One anecdote on an origin of modern press releases is about an incident in 1906 involving Ivy Lee, who is often referred to as the first real public relations practitioner. Ivy Ledbetter Lee ( July 16, 1877 – November 9, 1934) is considered by some to be the founder of modern Public relations, although At that time, Lee's agency was working with the Pennsylvania Railroad, which had just fallen victim to a tragic accident. Ivy Lee convinced the company to issue the first press release to journalists, before other versions of the story, or suppositions, could be spread among them and reported. He used a press release, in addition to inviting journalists and photographers to the scene and providing their transportation there, as a means of fostering open communication with the media.

Elements

While there are several types of press releases (such as the general news release, event release, product press release and, more recently, the social media release), press releases very often have several traits of their structure in common. This helps journalists separate press releases from other PR communication methods, such as pitch letters or media advisories. Some of these common structural elements include:

• Headline — used to grab the attention of journalists and briefly summarize the news.
• Dateline — contains the release date and usually the originating city of the press release.
• Introduction — first paragraph in a press release, that generally gives basic answers to the questions of who, what, when, where and why.
• Body — further explanation, statistics, background, or other details relevant to the news.
• Boilerplate — generally a short "about" section, providing independent background on the issuing company, organization, or individual.
• Close — in North America, traditionally the symbol "-30-" appears after the boilerplate or body and before the media contact information, indicating to media that the release is ending. A more modern equivalent has been the "###" symbol. In other countries, other means of indicating the end of the release may be used, such as the text "ends".
• Media Contact Information — name, phone number, email address, mailing address, or other contact information for the PR or other media relations contact person.

Video news releases

Some public relations firms send out video news releases (VNRs) which are pre-taped video programs that can be aired intact by TV stations. A video news release ( VNR) is a Video segment created by a PR firm advertising agency marketing firm Corporation, or Government Often, the VNRs are aired without the stations' identifying or attributing them as such.

TV news viewers can often detect the use of VNRs within television newscasts; for example, many movie-star "interviews" are actually VNRs, taped on a set which is located at the movie studio and decorated with the movie's logo. A logo ( Greek el λογότυπος = el-Latn logotypos is a graphical element ( Ideogram, Symbol, Emblem, Icon, Sign) Another frequent example of VNRs masquerading as news footage is videotapes of particular medical "breakthroughs," that are really produced and distributed by pharmaceutical companies for the purpose of selling new medicines.

Video News Releases can be in the form of full blown productions costing tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands. They can also be in the TV news format, or even produced for the web.

Recently, many broadcast news outlets have discouraged the use of VNRs. Many stations, citing an already poor public perception, want to increase their credibility. Public relations companies are having a tougher time getting their pre-edited video aired.

VNRs can be turned into podcasts then posted onto newswires. Further to this, a story can be kept running longer by engaging "community websites", which are monitored and commented on by many journalists and features writers.

Criticism

News releases have been a large source of criticism against various types of journalists, who sometimes rely on them heavily. Some people criticize writers for creating articles in this way, contending that it consititutes free advertising for the company on whose behalf the news release was issued, especially if it is not contrasted with criticism of that company or product in the same article. On the other hand, few dispute that news releases remain a valuable way for media to be made aware of new products and services, and recent and upcoming events of interest.

Embargoed news release

Sometimes a news release is embargoed — that is, news organizations are requested not to report the story until a specified time. In Journalism and Public relations, a news embargo or press embargo is a request by a source that the Information or News For example, news organizations usually receive a copy of presidential speeches several hours in advance. In such cases, the news organizations generally do not break the embargo. If they do, the agency that sent the release may blacklist them. A blacklisted news organization will not receive any more embargoed releases, or possibly any releases at all.

However, it is very hard to enforce embargoes on journalists, as there is constant pressure by editors to be first to a story. It is unlikely that a PR agency will blacklist a form of media, as other clients may want to be featured in this publication. This problem is sometimes overcome by controlling the timing of a release via email rather than relying on the journalist to do so.

See also

• Electronic Press Kit (EPK)
• Public Relations (PR)