Some Twitter folks, like @BethHarte, have called our attention to a a post by Newsvetter about a recent news release that caused a stir at PR Newswire and Business Wire. Seems that an agency called Elasticity issued a release on two new hires and used an eclectic combo of PR buzzwords, humor and oddball (but approved) quotes from social media luminaries to get attention. The wires had a problem with the release, but PR Newswire finally caved and agreed to run it. While I don't think it's particularly funny, I guess PR Newswire can't stop the agency from issuing an unfunny release that's not really news, anyway.
Typical releases are pretty moribund and contain lots of quotes about state-of-the-art this and new paradigm that, but there's still a formula that makes sense, even if many agency types have managed to make releases all but unreadable. The social media news release, on the other hand, takes the information and deconstructs it, which eliminates any possibility of winning over a journalist with pithy prose. But this hybrid release could take PR to a whole new low, with account execs at agencies around the country masquerading as SNL writers. And we know how funny that show is.
