Core Documents
Press release
A written statement distributed to media announcing news about an organization.
Read definitionPress Services glossary
The PR terms worth knowing.
Short answers first. Practical examples next. Learn the language used by newsrooms, distribution teams, and public relations professionals.
26
Essential terms. Each includes an example, tips, and a one-question check.
Core Documents
Boilerplate
The standard company description appended to the end of a press release.
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Dateline
The line at the start of a release stating the city and date of origin.
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Syndication
The process of a press release being republished across multiple news outlets and websites.
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Wire service
A commercial network that distributes press releases to media outlets and databases simultaneously.
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Embargo
An agreement that journalists won't publish a story before a set date and time.
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Exclusivity
Offering a story to only one outlet before it's shared more broadly.
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Media pitch
A short, personalized message sent to a journalist proposing a story.
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Media list
A curated database of journalists and outlets relevant to a specific story or beat.
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Media contact
The named individual listed on a release as the point of contact for media inquiries.
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Media kit
A packaged collection of assets journalists need to cover a company or event.
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Byline
The line crediting the author of an article, or an article written under an executive's name.
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Op-ed
An opinion piece submitted to a publication, traditionally printed opposite the editorial page.
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Multimedia news release
A press release enriched with images, video, or infographics to boost engagement and pickup.
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SEO press release
A press release optimized with keywords and links to improve search engine visibility.
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Media monitoring
The ongoing tracking of news, social, and online mentions of a brand or topic.
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Share of voice
A brand's proportion of total media coverage or conversation compared to its competitors.
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Crisis communication
The planned response an organization uses to communicate during a reputational or operational emergency.
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Spokesperson
The individual designated and trained to speak publicly on behalf of an organization.
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Media follow-up
A subsequent, polite check-in with a journalist after an initial pitch or release.
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Newswire
A service that distributes a press release to many newsrooms, websites, and databases at once.
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Newsroom
A website section where an organization publishes news and provides media resources.
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Outlet
A publication, broadcaster, or website that produces or publishes news and media content.
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Domain Rating
A third-party SEO score estimating the relative strength of a website’s backlink profile.
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Dofollow / nofollow
Informal terms describing whether a link can pass standard ranking signals or carries a qualifying rel attribute.
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Indexing
The process by which a search engine discovers, processes, and adds a web page to its searchable database.
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