Though Aristotle might lament the evolutionary direction his subject matter took, he would not be surprised to learn that it has, in fact, evolved. Indeed, to Aristotle, the Rhetoric was more of a working notebook than a final treatise on the subject. Sadly, recognition of these terms does not translate to effective use of the concepts they represent. Writing an effective press release requires not only a cursory understanding of the words that sound Greek to most, but also the knowledge of how much to use of each.
Journalists tend to think of news as a disruption of the status quo.
Press release writers would be well advised to adopt the same working definition. After all, journalists are their target audience. Newsless press releases bear a striking resemblance to sales pitches. Exclamation points multiply like wire coat hangers at the ends of sentences. Journalists' eyes glaze over when they read these releases.