Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Press Release vs News Story


I decided to look at Aramark's new Tribute Menu Series for the 2014 football season which can be found in 11 different NFL stadiums. The press release can be read here and the online news story can be read here.
                                                                                                                                                   

The first thing I noticed about both pieces were the lead sentences. Both of sentences entertain the reader and capture their attention. But, the problem is that neither sentence tells what the product is or what the most important part of the product will be to the readers. The sentences, as a result, are ineffective.

However, I think the main difference between the two pieces is that the news story takes the list of new foods that the different stadiums will offer and makes it into individual sentences. This is the most important part of the story because the reader wants to know what new food is coming to their stadium. I think the news story does a better job at presenting this because the sentences not only makes it easier to understand, but also makes it more interesting to read.

Another difference is the language used in both pieces. The news story uses a lot more high-action verbs, such as unveiled, set out to identify, and dish. The author of the news story, Tamara Omazic, is able to use these verbs because she is simply reporting on the product. Aramark, on the other hand, had to be careful with the word choice in their press release, in order to present their product in an un-biased way.

The news story also has an extra source that the press release does not offer. Omazic also includes quotes from David Freireich who is the PR director at Aramark. The information he provides is the same as what is in the press release. But, since it technically comes from a different source, it has a slightly different perspective.  

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