Hold and Hold for Release

Press releases are among the most used public relations tools. They are an efficient means of disseminating information to the media and are heavily relied upon. Generally the information contained within press releases may be used by media outlets upon receipt. To make editors aware of this situation, the term “For Immediate Release” is found near the top of the release, usually in the upper rightor left-hand corner of the piece.

However, this is not always the case. In cases of sensitive information or to coordinate events and efforts, practitioners may send releases to media before they should be used. In these situations, the information is embargoed, meaning that a specific date and time are given for when the information can be used; editors are asked to hold it for release until then. To signify this, the term “Hold for Release” and specific release information such as time and date will appear in either the upper rightor left-hand corner of the piece.

Most editors will respect these requests and will not publish the information until appropriate, but public relations practitioners have no guarantee of this and have no recourse if an editor chooses to run the information before the embargo ends. Therefore, it is imperative for practitioners to be careful in releasing information that should be held for release. There are advantages to this practice as well. By sending the releases before the publication time, public relations practitioners attempt to pique the interest of editors and reporters. With the advance notice, the media can develop more complex and in-depth articles about the subject without the pressure of deadlines; with the advent of instantaneous transmission of news in today's society, some say hold for release and embargoed items will soon be relics of the past.