Why I Hate Press Releases
And now another post in my million-part series on heinous business jargon.
Today I got a press release from a firm that brought on a new CEO. Some of the wording would be irritating if it weren’t so absurd.
[name redacted], a premier provider of Management Consulting, Outsourcing Consulting, and Vendor Relationship Management services, with a specialized focus in the areas of Information Technology, HR Technology, and Business Process Reengineering, today announced [name redacted] as its new President and CEO, effective immediately.
First of all, what is “a premier provider?” “Premier” means “first.” There can’t be more than one premier provider. And I doubt this firm is the first management consulting firm in history.
And what is a “specialized focus?” If you’re focusing, then you’re specialized. If you’re specialized, you must be focusing.
Oh, and “reengineering” is not a word. If you’re engineering something an second time, you’re still just engineering.
But there’s more:
[name redacted] joining the [name redacted] team rounds out our dynamic leadership team…
So, the members of your leadership team are in motion. That’s good. I doubt you would do as well with leaders who were paralyzed or dead.
[name redacted] is a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Business (SDVOB) that provides dynamic world class Management Consulting, Outsourcing Consulting, and Vendor Relationship Management services.
Oh, now not only is your work dynamic, it’s “world class!” Which means what? Has your organization been certified by the International Organization of World Classedness in Helsinki, Finland? Or is it just a two-word phrase that means nothing, but padded out the press release?
Press releases do not exist for marketing purposes. PR people are communicating with the press, and with others in their industry, and not to the general public. In other words, you’re communicating with professional communicators. Drop the marketing speak, and let the press know the facts. No journalist wants to wade through a page of meaningless logorrhoeaic nonsense just to find out what the story is.
INTERESTED IN IMPROVING YOUR CAREER? CHECK OUT …
|
THE CAREER TRANSFORMATION SYSTEM TM SIGN UP NOW! |
Resources
Search Jobs
Post Your Resume to 65+ Job Sites
Resume Service
Related posts:
Loading ...
Countless business jargon floods every office I’ve worked in. It is so much easier to say work together and solve this customers problem than “integrate internally and derive compatible solutions for our clients”.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
I think that every profession has its own jargon and that unless you are part of that field you can’t completely understand the gist of all of it. If was just cut all the bull from anything that was posted in press releases or even in the news where would all the fun be?
Ever read a government document? It takes them 25 pages just to tell you how to get to the bathroom! Business jargon is business jargon and sadly isn’t going anywhere, and while it would be nicer for whoever is meant to read it if the just cut the bull, I guess in a way that’s the job of the reporter to be the liason between the PR Jargon and us – the rest of the world!
aryn
aryn65000@yahoo.com
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Press release recent decades are merely being used for marketing. I hardly take notes from them, except if the product is something that I’ve been looking for. In Malaysia, even there are advertisements made in the form of news. Just unbelievable.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
It’s so true. Not only about the Engineering a second time still not reengineering. but NOONE at all wants to look through a page of meaningless logorrhoeaic nonsense to find out what the story is.
Jim,
Alund0@yahoo.com
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Jim Fisher- I COMPLETELY AGREE!!!!!!!!!!! The press uses so many terms that make no sence! I mean, learn and use real words for crying out loud. they think we are all such idiots!!!!!!!
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
This post is absolutely true. Why is it that writers find it necessary to use words and phrases that make no sense to catch an audience’s attention? Should we even give a second look to an advertisement by writers that believe we are so uneducated that we will not notice these errors? Redundancy is sad enough, but when writers make up random words to satisfy the flow of their work I feel personally insulted.
Kat
katandkirk@yahoo.com
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Also a very bad and humiliating matter in publishing job ads is when they publish your pic announcing the termination of your employment like you were a missing or wanted person. In addition, the way they warn the publicfor the latter not to get involved with the person who quit or terminated is too negative. I know it’s a matter of public interest, but it’s just humiliating.
Kristin, Kristin@gmail.com
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Its hard to disagree with this argument, although the Premier part might have been slightly over critical. These companies need to realize who their audience and not use the jargon they would in an office memo.
MikeZ
Like or Dislike:
0 
0