Is it the hot weather or is there another reason for a plague of vague press releases?

Lately, as part of my journalist role, I’ve been receiving a lot of press releases that not only miss the occasional detail but sometimes the entire story: awards to companies for something or other, presentations to an individual who worked for a couple of organisations, a financial services provider supplying . . . financial services.

Now, every journalist has specific interests and what’s interesting about the role is discovering a nugget about the topic or area you cover. I enjoy picking up the phone to find out more about a story, but not to dig out the basic details so I can figure out whether it’s interesting or not.

These press releases have come from press offices of UK government agencies and business organisations as well as from private companies. Does it matter?

Well, clients are paying fees to PR agencies and employers paying staff to produce and distribute these press releases when a lot businesses now promote themselves very effectively. Last week, I suggested an idea for a photo to accompany a company’s press release and the next morning I received a high quality image from them by email. There was no PR agency involved and I didn’t receive a tiny 72dpi, badly posed image, like the government agency sent.

If that’s the case, why use a PR agency or corporate marketing professional? Why not do it yourself?

I see it as a warning to anyone in PR, marketing and communications to sharpen up and provide the value that clients and employers expect . . . or perhaps they won’t want to pay for us any more.

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What I find exciting about journalism is when I ask someone about their business and they casually drop what seems to them a trivial fact into the conversation which everyone else finds remarkable. Often they don’t realise their own achievements and are surprised at your interest. You ask them more questions to reveal a fascinating story.

It doesn’t always happen that way. So many press releases don’t have a story, which is a waste as someone has spent time writing it or paid a PR person or agency to write it when it is very unlikely be considered for publication.

Most businesses have a story somewhere: the reason they were started, their struggle to develop a unique product, amazing export achievements or performance that bettered all usual expectations. There’s a good chance that personal achievement will play a big part in it too.

So I’m on the lookout for good business stories.

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