In a column strangely reminiscent of the late 90’s when PR pros were the bane of technology beat reporters’ existence, The Times’s top consumer electronics reporter David Pogue today took issue with a news release that couldn’t seem to get past the vernacular. Pogue: “Most of the time, high-tech companies can describe their products with equal efficiency, but not always.” He went on to re-write the lame release before reviewing the product-in-question. I’ll let you visit the link to read the gopply-goop.
The media ill-will PR pros spawned in the hyperbolic dot-com era lingers today with poorly-written news releases and confusing, misguided story queries. The best in our biz are able to describe arcane products and deliver complex messages with cogent, concise and convincing language that creates a connection with the intended audience. It’s less about the deployment of multi-syllabic words, and more about keeping it simple. My advice: If you have or know of any middle school-aged children, test the pitch on them first.