Is the press release dead?

The Marketing Profs declare: The Press Release is Dead (Will Somebody Please Tell the Clients?) Hey, I'm the client and now I've been told. I'm imagine the PR pros out there have been debating this issue for a while. The author, Sally Saville Hodge, makes the point that you can't expect broad PRs to be picked up by the press. Instead, she suggests:

"A short, personalized email—three paragraphs at most—to the targeted journalists with a to-the-point lead-in should not only outline the storyline but also emphasize its relevance to the outlet's audiences. This personal approach is going to have a far greater chance of grabbing the reporter's attention than a news release that's written for the masses."

I'd say that this approach has always been superior, but the less available print space has changed the demand, so that lower-quality approaches are ineffective. Less print space means less PRs will be picked up. The ability to post news to your own website also lessens the expectation that the PR needs to get in the press. Well, it lessens the need, but we need to change our expectations--those who care about our company or products will find this news on our website first anyway.

I've done a new-product PR and a newsy PR this year, broadly distributed to editors in appropriate publications. None picked up on the releases, as far as I know. Now I know why.