Distinguishing Press Releases from Journalist-Written Stories: A Peek into the PR World

The public relations world, to a layman, often appears a confusing landscape of news, releases and eye-catching headlines. But what separates an organic journalist's story from a press release? And why should you care?

A Look at Press Releases

At its core, a press release is a written statement created by a company or organization with the intention to spread pertinent information about an event, product, or service. Essentially, it's the organization saying, "Hey! Look at this cool thing we're doing!". The aim behind crafting such content is simple – to land it in front of journalists who might find it newsworthy enough to write about.

Unpacking Journalist-written Stories

In contrast, a journalist-written story is not directly controlled by an organization or product promoter. Instead, they're independent entities – the journalists – who curate stories based on their interests or their audience's preferences. Herein lies one significant difference; while a press release is inherently biased towards the organization that issued it, journalist-written stories approach their subjects with an impartial view. But are there any other differences? Yes! Imagine that question as the metaphorical door opening upon another room of understanding. Let's swing it wide and step inside.

The Voice & Tone

The voice and tone – literally how your words sound – differ greatly between a press release and an organic journalist story. Press releases are designed to be crisp and professional; they aim to convey necessary information efficiently. They stick to old-school journalism's fundamental principle - "just the facts". Most importantly, they make sure you know all about said company's latest endeavor. Yet for journalist-written stories, the tone is more flexible. It might be conversational, humorous, formal or anything in between - depending on the topic, publication and audience. A journalist has a lot more freedom in the writing style and word choice they use to ensure the story is engaging to their readers.

The Source

Where do these pieces of information come from? Good question! Press releases are usually disseminated through PR agencies or communication departments within a company. That's why they tend to lean towards showing that company or product in the best light possible. On the other hand, journalist-written stories stem from various sources – interviews, observations, studies, reports…you name it! This gives journalists more latitude to paint a broader picture of an issue and present a more balanced view. The key is understanding that an utmost scrutiny must be applied while consuming both. Remember - not everything that glitters is gold!

Raising Further Questions

So does this mean press releases are less trustworthy than journalist-written stories? Or that one presents a more accurate depiction than the other? Not necessarily! While press releases may have inherent biases, they can provide valuable insights into what companies and organizations deem important. Meanwhile, journalistic stories offer a broader perspective but may also contain biases based on what the journalist chooses to highlight. Isn't it an oxymoron then – this business of telling news? Can truth really be controlled or is it as elusive as catching smoke with bare hands? This article should not be seen as the ultimate guide on press releases versus journalist-written stories. Rather, consider it a friendly nudge towards thinking critically about where your news comes from. Because at the end of the day, isn’t that what’s most important?