When I began in the news business, press releases were simply meant for the press.  If a reporter decided to write about the release, then it was a success.  If not, that was pretty much the end of it. 

No more.  Today, press releases can be accessed online through Web sites and search engines.  They can be e-mailed, put onto RSS feeds and complemented with podcasts.  Just name it.  The real question for communicators is this: What is the proper audience for the press release today? 

My podcast, Talking Communications with Farrell Kramer, deals with this question in Episode 5 — Whose Press Release Is It Anyway?  Our guest is Mick Jolly (3rd from top), Executive Vice President of PRWeb, an online press release service specializing in direct-to-consumer distribution.

Please feel free to click over to the Talking Communications with Farrell Kramer site and listen.  It's an interesting episode that anyone involved in communications -- and press releases! -- ought to hear.