Business Communication

Group Communication / 113
large section of the community spread across different target groups, recourse to press release become
essential. Press releases for any business organization would cover various happening and business
related information which the public would be interested in knowing, and which the business
organization wishes to share with the general public. Press releases would generally include financial
results, product launches, performance highlights, new branches and offices, change in management,
benefits to the customer and the shareholder, community oriented initiatives, tie-up and joint venture,
cessation of business, awards and achievements, ratings and rankings, research findings, meeting and
conferences and so on. Press releases do not bring any monetary gains to either the organization
issuing them or the newspaper accepting them for publication. But if properly handled, they help to
boost the image of the organization in public.
A press release is different from press report. A correspondent representing a newspaper or news
agency covering an event on his own writes a press report. A company sending matter for publication
prepared by its own staff is issuing a press release.
10.3.1
Characteristics of A Good Press Release
1.
It should be newsworthy: Newsworthiness is the basic criterion of a good press release.
For if it does not have any news value, nobody would be interested in reading it and no
newspaper would accept it for publication.
2.
It should be factually true: Factual truthfulness is a matter of integrity and integrity is
an important principle of business communication. Companies should also realise that the
misinterpretation of the facts with a view to misleading the public might bring immediate
benefits, but such a step is bound to backfire sooner or later.
3.