Press Release

A formal announcement of a significant piece of company news. Its purpose is to provide an authoritative overview for press, as well as company employees who are speaking to press. Many media outlets will run these word-for-word, so it is important to maintain a neutral tone. These typically include a quote from a representative from all companies involved and must be approved by all parties before being sent out.

Press Alert

An informal announcement, usually two or three paragraphs, that is sent to press so they are aware of more specialized company news. The goal is to provide enough information that they could write a short story themselves or reach out if they need more. Press alerts do not include quotes and are typically sent directly to press without a review period.

Off The Record

*BEWARE: This is never legally binding.

If you ask a reporter to go off the record, there is an understanding that what you are telling them is not for use in their story. Only consider doing this with a reporter you know and trust, otherwise it is best to simply say something like “Let me look into that and get back to you later.” If you must, make sure the reporter agrees to go off the record BEFORE you speak, as this does not apply to anything you have already said (i.e. you cannot finish an interview and then ask to take parts of it off the record).

On Background

*BEWARE: This is never legally binding.

If you tell a reporter that you will speak with them “on background,” there is an understanding that they can use what you tell them in their story so long as they do not attribute it directly to you. Only consider doing this with a reporter you know and trust. Otherwise, it is best to decline the interview.

Win

A success story that can be used to beef up press pitches but are not pitchable in and of themselves. For example, awards won by clients or affiliated artists, a sold-out event, Gold and Platinum certifications, etc.

Clip

A piece of press coverage.

Company Backgrounder – a.k.a. One Sheet

A document, usually one page, summarizing the company. Should include the founding year, a description of what the company does, the founders and their story, public recognition and awards the company has received, and more.

Bio

Short for biography. A generally 3-5 paragraph summary of a staff member’s current role, past roles, industry recognition, location, and interests. Those who wish to do conference speaking or be an interview

Parenthetical

A short description of a company that can be used to quickly identify them at the start of a press release. For example: “4U Recording Atlanta, a state-of-the-art recording studio owned and operated by Made in Memphis Entertainment (MIME), announced today that…”

Elevator Pitch

A short description of the company that, theoretically, you should be able to tell someone in the amount of time it would take them to get on and off of an elevator with you.

Boilerplate

A short 1-3 paragraph description of a company that is included at the bottom of every press release. Usually adapted from the company’s backgrounder.

Partnership

A formal agreement between two companies. It can be tempting to call a collaboration a partnership, but unless a contract has been signed, it is technically incorrect to say so. This can be especially problematic when dealing with business press.

Joint Venture

A legal agreement between two or more parties to work together on a business project or opportunity. This term should be avoided in a more casual description of two or more companies working together.

Op-Ed/ Byline

An article on a topic of interest to the company or a particular executive that is pitched to press outlets as a guest post. They run as-is with a company executive listed as the author, even though they are often written by Jaybird staff. These are helpful for publicizing non-tangible company priorities that would not work in a press release, such as industry philosophy, approach, and goals.

Exclusive

A news story or op-ed that is pitched to only one outlet at a time. This outlet is given the opportunity to run the story first, sometimes with a window of time before we are allowed to pitch it to other outlets. This approach can make a story more desirable for the outlet, though it requires significant advance planning. Op-eds are always considered to be exclusives.

Pre-pitch/ Preview

Sending a press release to a small group of trusted reporters in advance (usually no more than one day) of the official announcement date. Similar to an exclusive, though no guarantee of exclusivity is given to any outlet – it’s just a heads up. While there is no guarantee they will not run it immediately, this can make a story more valuable to multiple press outlets at once and is often appreciated by reporters who can prep news for the next day.

Peg

Something happening in the real world that gives more urgency to an announcement or pitch, i.e. Black History Month.

Deadline

The absolute last day and time by which a task must be completed. For reporters, this is when they must turn in a story. For weekly or monthly publications, it is the day on which all stories for that edition are due. “When is your deadline?” is the most important question to ask a journalist about their story. If they say they are “on deadline,” they need materials urgently – or if they are responding to an inquiry about something else, it means ask again later!

Headshot

A professional photograph of a company executive, typically of their face and shoulders only. Needed for those speaking at events, writing op-eds, or otherwise public-facing.