Public Information on PR & Comm.: Exclusives and Embargos - Carrots and Sticks
"For Immediate Release" and "Do Not Release Before..." In the days of distributing news via snail mail, that may have made sense. With the advernt of e-mail and blogging, it has less sense today. This article address the issues of embargos and exclusives and how reporters feel about them. When you know how your customer "buys" a story, you're better prepared to "sell" it.
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The Future of the Embargo
"In media and blogger relations, PR typically wields two powerful tools to help boost the effectiveness of pitching and potential placement of news: the embargo and the exclusive.
"In the case of an exclusive, a story is usually packaged prior to official release for one particular writer, fully understanding their style, nuances, and audience. If the story is accepted, it is not pitched to any other media outlets until after the story runs. The benefit for PR is that it can bank on the publishing of a guaranteed, high profile story. The advantage for the reporter is that they maintain a position of authority on that particular event. The con for PR, is that usually, other media properties will forgo participating in the round of coverage because it quickly become old news.
"The news business is similar to buying a new car. It’s immediately worth less the moment you drive it off of the lot. Once the press release crosses the wire or a reporter/blogger publishers the story, the news loses its value. Thus, news boasts its greatest leverage prior to public dissemination."
