Is A Press Release An Elite Sales Pitch?

Those who design and create releases for the press, which is the print media,
are designed to contain information of sufficient importance or interest to the
public, historically speaking. This is what U.S. citizens are led to believe
about what we may read.

Instead, those who design and release written information to the press are
often sponsors of the print media who will issue the press release. Such
sponsors often instruct such media outlets with mandated authoritarian
nuances such as the press release that they created will not be altered in any
way by the print media that agrees to release the press created by the
sponsor of the media outlet.
Of course, the sponsor and creator of such a press release create such
written words in order to promote the sponsor’s company, as well as its
products. By doing so, they are allowed the freedom to embellish if not
fabricate what may be annotated on the release they issue to the press that
has now been bought by them, the corporate sponsor.

These well- constructed statements are meticulously composed and

customized before they are issued to targeted editors and contacts at mass
media publication locations.

The sponsor also has been known to direct the location and time of the
release of their press creation that, upon direction from the sponsor, is
completely un-reviewed by such a media source.

As this is done, the mass media outlets are again instructed on how to
present their completed statementsby who are often corporate sponsors.
Furthermore, the media is given instructions once more that what has been
written by their sponsor shall remain as it exists.

As a result of this collusion, press releases are presently a form of public

relations often utilized for those companies who create what is supposed to
be an attempt to express their products as being newsworthy to the readers.

Press releases, historically, have been created and released to inform the
readers by adding insight and related information for them regarding a
particular topic that was typically complete and balanced. At least, that was
the intent.

Today, they seem to be more or less an annotative commercial with press

compositions generated by corporations in particular, so it seems.

Unfortunately, and presently, press releases are often embellished, biased,

and incomplete with deliberate intent in order to benefit the creator of these
documents, who again develop them solely to increase awareness and usage
of their products that they promote with their business, which they want to
be viewed as favorable and with a positive image to the public.

One could suggest that the mass media who receives these press statements
from certain corporations are transformed into acutefront groups who
perhaps coercively offer third party legitimacy for the content of the press
release as they release this information to their readers.

The often notable if not intentional,flaws at times are numerous within such
press releases that reflect reckless disregard with informing readers in such a
way, who are the American public. Citizens typically believe that what they
are reading from a respected media source is both honest and complete.

An example is an anonymous press release posted on the Medical News

Today website (www.medicalnewstoday.com) that is dated in March of 2006.
The title: "CymbaltaSafely and Effectively Treats core anxiety symptoms
associated with generalized anxiety disorder."

Cymbalta, by the way, is a psychoactive drug often utilized for human

affective disorders.

Clearly, this title itself includes words associated with relief or elation, which
are subjective and not objective elements which would clearly be more
appropriate- with a health care press release in particular.

The first paragraph of this press release repeats the results mentioned in the
title of this article, but also states Cymbaltaoffers relief of painful symptoms
associated with anxiety, as well as improved functional impairment- also
claimed to be associated with anxiety in this press release.

These conclusions are speculative at best, as these inferences appear to be

unexamined by others regarding the benefits claimed to exist with Cymbalta
as illustrated in this press release.

Cymbaltawas not approved by the FDA for anxiety or any of the symptoms
associated with this condition at the time of this press release. In fact,
Cymbalta was not filed with the FDA for this speculated new indication for
anxiety that was desired by Eli Lilly until May of 2006.

By definition, this press release may possibly be off-label promotion as well

as misbranding of Cymbalta that was performed overtly in this manner of the
press release, one may speculate.

As one continues to read this press release, testimonials were intentionally

created and inserted into this press release that illustrated results they hope
are impactful to the reader regarding Cymbalta.
This testimonial was from the lead author, who expanded the claims made
initially with utilizing various medical terms, which was followed by this
person’s passionate optimism about the great potential of Cymbaltabased on
this remarkable study.

This study, by the way, was to be addressed in further detail at a National

Anxiety meeting some weeks after this press release was announced to the
public on this website.

The second testimonial was Eli Lilly's Medical Advisor expressing his elation
about what the lead author just stated, followed by how much he was
encouraged by these results that will benefit so many others that have these
debilitating medical conditions.

Of course, profit forecasts and desired market growth and expansion

regarding Cymbalta remarkably were not stated in this press release.

What is not included in this particular press release were any clear
statements regarding the disadvantages and adverse if not toxic events
associated those who take Cymbalta.

Reactions from Cymbalta users include discontinuation syndrome at times,

when the user stops taking this medication, which I understand can be quite
devastating for the one experiencing this syndrome.

Furthermore acts of suicide and suicidal ideation have been frequently

associated with those who take Cymbaltaas well. There have been apparent
lack of efficacy suggestions by others who have taken Cymbalta.

Basically, anything that may be considered negative aspects about this drug
were not annotated in this particular press release as it should have been for
fair balance that is or should be a primary standard in the pharmaceutical
industry and health care journalism.

The staff involved with the release and publication of such press releases as
this one was annotated and described should perhaps be more informed on
what not to accept and what to present regarding these issues addressed.

As with any reporting by the media, objectivity and thorough completeness

of the topic discussed in a press release is a necessary requirement with any
publishing that is potentially exposed to so many other readers- with issues
related to the restoration of their health in particular:

“The public has a lot at stake, and the media has a responsibility always to
be aware of the source of information and the conflicts those sources might
have when they report the results of clinical research. People who have
financial stake in the results of clinical research can well be biased in the way
research is conducted, in the way they report it, and what they say about it
when interviewed by the media.”
– Arnold Relman, former editor in chief of the New England Journal of
Medicine

Dan Abshear