Editors Depend on Releases

Some editors say they never look at the piles of "handouts" that cross their desks each day. But usually even the largest news organizations sort out the releases that offer tips, ideas, data, or other starting points for staff reporters, who will assemble and write a story in their own style. Routinely, certain columns in almost every paper are put together by pasting up news releases: business promotions, military personnel ac­tivities, and cultural and entertainment events.

Most weekly and small daily newspapers with limited resources depend heavily on news and features provided by governments, educational institutions, and trade associations to fill their columns. Similarly, radio station news personnel receive taped feature materials from public relations departments, and they have the phone numbers of "daily feed" systems that permit them to tape a minute or more of "live "quote" information from spokespersons for various organizations. The amount of information in the media that has its origins in news releases cannot be underestimated.