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Transcending the press release: New ways of releasing info

Transcending the press release: New ways of releasing info

By Bob Geller, Senior Vice President, NY

Following my post from last week which questioned the relevance of the press release and the wisdom of a Web 2.0 press release, I saw that that the NY Times had an article this weekend in their What’s Online weekly roundup that sarcastically asked, “What’s Next, a MySpace Profile?

The piece reports on the amazing fact that a high level government official – SEC Chairman Christopher Cox – actually posted to a blog.

“Accounts from The Associated Press, plus other news organizations and blogs emphasized the fact that Christopher Cox had actually commented on a blog last week. The point of his post — that the S.E.C. may be ready to allow companies to disclose material information to stockholders via the Internet — was secondary (dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com).”

The same article also mentioned that Sun CEO (and prominent blogger) Jonathan Schwartz “has called for the S.E.C. to accept the use of the Web to disclose significant financial information to shareholders under Regulation FD (for “fair disclosure”). Complaining that his lawyers kept warning him off discussing various company-related issues on his blog, he decried Regulation FD’s insistence that companies use “anachronistic” methods like conference calls and news releases to disclose financial information (blogs.sun.com/jonathan).”

Seems like I am not the only one who thinks the press release is an anachronism.

By the way, I should have mentioned that questioning the relevance of the press release today – and discussing the impact of the blogging rage on PR – is well tread territory, the debate of course did not start here but I am happy to continue it. Here are some earlier threads:

Silicon Valley Watcher, “Die, Press release, Die, Die, Die!“, 2/27/2006
Tom Foremski blogs that the press release should, well, die, and suggests other ways of giving journalists access to information that counts.

Bayosphere “PR: It’s a New World,” 10/7/2005,
Dan Gillmor’s blog covers the impact of blogging on PR.

Global PR Blog Week, “Dan Gillmor Interview,” 7/15/2004
Steve Rubel interviews Dan Gillmor on blogging, grassroots journalism and PR

Global PR Blog Week, “PR is Dead,” 7/13/2004
Roland Tanglao rants that blogging is good and PR is bad

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