Public Relation & The Internet

The Internet and the World Wide Web and the use of electronic mail has given public relations practitioners a new tool for communicating with journalists and editors in the media. According to Paul Krupin, compiler of The U.S All Media E-mail Directory, "Media executives are increasingly adapting to the use of e-mail as a preferred method for receiving news releases." Electronic public relations is most effective for those companies whose products and services are web- or computer-oriented, and even though media contacts may prefer to receive news releases via e-mail, they still evaluate each release on the basis of its content. Krupin also noted in a 1998 article for Directory World, "The lion's share of media still rely on faxes, telephones, and street mail, pretty much in that order."
Also affected by the World Wide Web are press kits, which used to consist of a large folder filled with glossy photos, corporate bios, and narrative press releases. More effective for the World Wide Web are online press kits, which consist of video news releases, still images, and a wealth of background information—all available online at a company's Web site or e-mailed to media contacts. Benefits to using an online press kit include lower costs and making more information available to journalists. Photographs and news releases can be easily downloaded, saving valuable time for the user.
In addition to including current information, corporate Web sites often contain an archive of news releases going back in time. They may also contain other public relations items, such as a corporate history or timeline, annual reports, and profiles of corporate officers. Companies with an interest in public relations will be using the World Wide Web to find new opportunities to communicate their messages to their publics.