Do Reporters Read E-Mail Releases?

Do Reporters Read E-mail Releases?


More than half (52%) of the 50 reporters, who responded to a recent survey, said they look at some of the press releases they get by e-mail.

Only 8% of the reporters said they actually open and read between 90% to 100% of the releases, while the largest number (26%) look at less than half of the releases they get.

The poll was conducted by Ben Silverman, who is director of development and contributing editor for FindProfit.com. He said all of the respondents are beat reporters at daily papers, with circulations ranging from under 100,000 to over 500,000. The reporters polled cover business, politics, sports, local affairs, crime, travel, technology and the arts.

Twenty-two percent of the reporters said they get releases via snail mail, but only 2% of the reporters said they read them.

Thirty-six percent get releases via fax, which are not read by 64% of the respondents.

When releases arrived via an eFax number, 56% of the journalists said they read them; 44% do not.

Silverman said faxing appears to be the best way to get someone to read a press release.

Seventy percent of the journalists said they monitor press release wires such as Business Wire and PR Newswire, and 76% find information contained in press releases on the wire are useful.

Sixty-two percent feel the majority of press releases incorrectly target their beat.