The Printing Press

When it comes to the history of journalism, everything starts with the invention of the movable type printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in the 15th century. However, while Bibles and other books were among the first things produced by Gutenberg's press, it wasn't until the 17th century that the first newspapers were distributed in Europe. The first regularly published paper came out twice a week in England, as did the first daily, The Daily Courant.

A New Profession in a Fledgling Nation

In America, the history of journalism is inextricably intertwined with the history of the country itself. The first newspaper in the American colonies - Benjamin Harris's Publick Occurrences both Foreighn and Domestick - was published in 1690 but immediately shut down for not having a required license. Interestingly, Harris' newspaper employed an early form of reader participation. The paper was printed on three sheets of stationery-size paper and the fourth page was left blank so that readers could add their own news, then pass it on to someone else. Many newspapers of the time were not objective or neutral in tone like the papers we know today. Rather, they were fiercely partisan publications that editorialized against the tyranny of the British government, which in turn did its best to crack down on the press.

An Important Case
In 1735, Peter Zenger, publisher of the New York Weekly Journal, was arrested and put on trial for allegedly printing libelous things about the British government. But his lawyer, Andrew Hamilton, argued that the articles in question could not be libelous because they were based on fact. Zenger was found not guilty, and the case established the precedent that a statement, even if negative, cannot be libelous if it is true. This landmark case helped establish the foundation of a free press in the then-fledgling nation.

The 1800s
There were already several hundred newspapers in the U.S. by 1800, and that number would grow dramatically as the century wore on. Early on, papers were still very political and partisan in tone, but gradually they started to become more than simply mouthpieces for their publishers. Newspapers were also growing as an industry. In 1833 Benjamin Day opened the New York Sun and created the "Penny Press." Day's cheap papers, filled with sensational content and aimed at a working class audience, were a huge hit. With huge increases in circulation and larger printing presses to meet the demand, newspapers became a mass medium.

This period also saw the establishment of more prestigious newspapers that had begun to incorporate the kinds of journalistic standards that we know today. One such paper, started in 1851 by George Jones and Henry Raymond, made a point of featuring quality reporting and writing. The name of the paper? The New York Daily Times, which later became The New York Times.

The Civil War

The Civil War era brought technical advances like photography to the nation's great papers. And the advent of the telegraph enabled Civil War correspondents to transmit stories back to their newspapers' home offices with unprecedented speed. But the telegraph lines often went down, so reporters learned to put the most important information in their stories into the first few lines of the transmission. This led to the development of the tight, inverted-pyramid style of writing that we associate with newspapers today. This period also saw the formation of The Associated Press wire service, which started as a cooperative venture between several large newspapers wanting to share news that arrived by telegraph from Europe. Today the AP is the world's oldest and largest news agency.

Hearst, Pulitzer & Yellow Journalism

The 1890s saw the rise of publishing moguls William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer. Both owned papers in New York and elsewhere, and both employed a sensationalistic kind of journalism designed to lure as many readers as possible. The term "yellow journalism" dates from this era; it comes from the name of a comic strip - "The Yellow Kid" - published by Pulitzer.

The 20th Century - And Beyond

Newspapers thrived into the mid-20th century but with the advent of radio and then television, newspaper circulation began a slow but steady decline. That decline has only been hastened by the advent of the internet, and the early years of the 21st century have seen the newspaper industry enter a kind of death spiral, with layoffs, bankruptcies and even the total shutdown of some publications being seen nationwide. Still, even in an age of 24/7 cable news and thousands of websites, newspapers maintain their status as the best source for in-depth and investigative news coverage. The value of newspaper journalism is perhaps best demonstrated by the Watergate scandal, in which two reporters, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, did a series of investigative articles about corruption and nefarious doings in the Nixon White House. Their stories, along with ones done by other publications, led to Nixon's resignation.

The future of print journalism as an industry remains unclear. On the internet, blogging about current events has become enormously popular, but critics charge that most blogs are filled with gossip and opinions, not real reporting. There are hopeful signs online. Some websites are returning to old-school journalism, such as VoiceofSanDiego.org, which highlights investigative reporting, and GlobalPost.com, which focuses on foreign news. But while the quality of print journalism remains high, it's clear that newspapers as an industry must find a new business model in order to survive well into the 21st century.

Press Release Format Guidelines

Press Releases - Business, organizational or personal news intended for the Media. Press releases are best suited for our Targeted Media and Wire Service Distribution. A press release is a written communication that purports to report on an event, circumstance or occurrence by a third party, and is provided to the news media for the purpose of promotion. Business, organizational or personal press releases are different from a news article in that a news article is a compilation of facts developed by journalists and then published as news content within a given media outlet. A press release, on the other hand, is designed to be sent to journalists and or media outlets (newspapers, magazines, broadcasters, etc.) in order to encourage them (the reporter or actual media outlet) to develop news articles on the subject. A press release is generally biased toward the objectives of the press releases author and is most often viewed as raw materials by the media when creating news content. Since the advent of the Internet the lines between news as compared to a press release are getting blurred, but the purpose of a press release, within its related format, is to reach out to the media to get them to report on your particular message, with secondary direct to readership benefits associated with overall Internet based publicity.

The Press Release Format

You must report in the third person. Just like a news release, a press release purports to report on an event, circumstance or occurrence by a third party. When writing a news release, be a reporter and report on yourself or your business. Third Person Example: According to John Doe, the next version of Websters Dictionary will include two new slang terms that were identified in his research as being part of . Inappropriate Example: I, John Doe, was informed that the next version of Websters Dictionary will include two new slang terms that I identified in my research as being part of Press releases are most effective when they are under 500 words, generally two to three paragraphs, preceded by a clear and attention grabbing headline. Remember, this content is intended to be used by the media, so be accurate and reasonably detailed. (Begin with the text immediately below) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Headline
Be creative and keep it to one sentence. Capitalize the first letter of all words but do not use all upper case letters. Exclamation marks (!) conveys that your release is advertising, not news, and its the credibility of news that generates the good publicity.

Paragraph 1
Physical location (country, state, city), Month, Day, Year - Begin with a strong introductory paragraph that captures the readers attention and contains the information most relevant to your message such as the Five W's of (W)ho, (W)hat, (W)hen, (W)here, and (W)hy, when applicable. This paragraph should summarize the News Release such that if it was the only part seen by a reader, it would tell your entire message, and it should include a hook to get your audience interested in reading more.

Paragraph 2, 3, 4,
These paragraphs should contain more detailed important information, and make up the body of the release. Pick up with the information provided in your first paragraph, including quotes from key staff, customers or subject matter experts. Make sure you use correct grammar so as not to affect your credibility negatively. As for content, make sure to keep in mind that you are writing a press release to grab the attention of the media. It is very important to maintain factual accuracy, make sure you are cleared to use quotes or information about businesses, and most importantly have an angle that

will appeal to journalists (often by connecting your release to current events or issues). Effective releases usually utilize a strategy known as the inverted pyramid, which is written with the most important information and quotes first. Try to keep the press release to fewer than 500 words total. Remember, succinct and to the point works best. The body of your release should be more than one paragraph. The final paragraph should restate and summarize the key points of your release.

Additional 1
Provide avenues for the reader to obtain additional information, demos, samples, etc., and it is important to Internet links. WebWire provides special data submission fields for company/agency name, contact, telephone, email address, website location, etc. and other online connections (links).

Additional 2
Include trademark acknowledgments, product or event timelines, availability, logistics, etc. in paragraph form.

Additional 3
Background information about the company featured in the release, if appropriate, as well as any applicable safe harbor statement or disclaimers.

Additional 4
With a WebWire submission, include contact information about the release (name, title, email, telephone, etc.) within the appropriate online form. Make sure it is the person who can answer questions about the release. (End with these characters immediately below) ###

A Sample Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Rockwell Collins Helmet Mounted Display Selected For AVCATT

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (August 09, 2009) - The U.S. Army, through the Program Executive Office of Simulation Training and Instrumentation, has awarded Rockwell Collins a $23.8 million contract for the Aviation Combined Arms Tactical Trainer (AVCATT) Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) modification and upgrade program. "This is a great example of how Rockwell Collins integrates multiple disciplines to provide the best solutions for our customers," said Ron Hornish, vice president and general manager, Sensor Systems for Government Systems at Rockwell Collins. "In this case, our expertise in helmet mounted displays and simulation and training made us the right choice for the AVCATT program." AVCATT is a mobile, transportable, virtual simulation training system designed to provide Army aviation with the capability to conduct realistic, high intensity training exercises and mission rehearsals. The system allows pilots to train and rehearse through networked simulation in a collective and combined arms simulated battlefield environment. The contract calls for Rockwell Collins to provide the SimEye SR100A HMD, a more compact, lightweight, high-resolution upgrade for its already proven SimEye XL100A, which is presently used in AVCATT. Developed based on feedback from the warfighter, enhancements include higher resolution, upgraded head tracker technology and reductions in head-borne weight and overall size. The SimEye SR100A HMD allows pilots to feel as if they are part of an environment as opposed to simply viewing a scene during training. Rockwell Collins will be integrating its HMD -- incorporating an integral IS-900 head tracker -with its EPX-50 image generator. By optimizing overall system performance of the HMD technology, Rockwell Collins will ensure the success of the visual displays for the AVCATT trainer. The work for the AVCATT program, which was awarded under the Rockwell Collins' Simulation, Training and Instrumentation Command (STRICOM) Omnibus Contract, will be completed in the company's Carlsbad, Calif. and Orlando, Fla. locations. Rockwell Collins (NYSE: COL) is a pioneer in the development and deployment of innovative communication and aviation electronics solutions for both commercial and government

applications. Our expertise in flight deck avionics, cabin electronics, mission communications, information management and simulation and training is delivered by 19,000 employees, and a global service and support network that crosses 27 countries. To find out more, please visit www.rockwellcollins.com. Contact: Jane Doe, Media Relations janedoe@xyzPR.com (212) 555-1212 ###

A FINAL NOTE: WebWire is a highly trafficked Website and is part of what is commonly known as the Four Ps of Marketing; Product, Price, Place and Promotion (with WebWire being part of Promotion via press release distribution). This one part of the marketing mix, press release distribution, does not guarantee that your release will get utilized by the media. Press release submissions are part of a process, and as such, should be viewed as a complement to other marketing efforts such as advertising, search engine optimization, live publicity, etc.

The world of marketing is huge with the four Ps of marketing and all that. But of all of these options, the one that I think is of utmost importance is not well understood and given its due in public relations. What most people think of public relations is that it involves the operation of communication activities between the public and the company, communication such as press releases and the kind. But what companies do not realize is the fact that public relations is an extremely essential and integral marketing tool. Understanding Public Relations Public relation is a process where a company forms a relationship and communication between it and its customers using different methods of communications, channels and various tools. Ideally the company would use a liaison officer called a public relations officer who would be responsible for working with the media to build a strong company image either by way of the company itself or its products. These days public relations is so much more than that. It includes

various activities like that of creating awareness about the company along with building its image through print media, keeping a check on the different media channels for any comment regarding the company and its products, handling crisis regarding the company and its products and also building on the companys goodwill. There are different types of public relations, some companies call it investor relations and yet others will call it financial public relations. Purpose of Public Relations There is a reason or a purpose for which people and companies use public relations, these are:

Awareness about products when a new product is launched or an old product gets a makeover and a new launch; this is when PR is used, to create a kind of awareness and interest among people through the media. Building interest one of the most important roles of PR is to build hype and interest among the public, this could be about a product, a new launch or anything. This interest can be created using various tools and channels. Supplying information the company uses PR to supply information to its customers and to the public. This can be done through various methods of public relation tools like articles, newsletters, websites and lot more. Increasing demand there are times when PR is directly responsible for increasing the demand, this could be because a successful launch or a great article in the newspaper or on the Internet. Strengthen the brand image most companies use PR to strengthen the company name and brand image. This will be done by various events and press releases, which is the job of the public relations officer.

Benefits of Public Relations There are several benefits of using public relations that are not found in any of the other marketing Ps. One of the main things to consider is the fact that PR is the most credible method of promoting a company, its products and its image, this is because it uses the highly finicky media in doing so. A good PR strategy also helps in better results where target marketing is concerned. Overall the benefits of public relations cannot be denied, but make sure that you do it in an appropriate manner, as the public doesnt take to aggressive tactics very well, and neither does the media which is an integral part of public relations.