It's official: yesterday Directions Media received its first social media release. (It's posted here.) I follow media trends but I had to look up what that is. Basically, it's a press release in bullet or other structured form. It may include "hipper" links than regular releases including access to podcasts, graphics, etc. The idea, as I understand it, is to provide journalists a better list of resources to use in crafting an article. (see more on SMRs here)

Once upon a time a press release was designed to do just that: to prompt journalists to write about the topic. What's happened, of course, is that now press releases are published (typically with full text on the Web) directly to readers. Some members of the media use press releases to guide their coverage; others do not.

So, what are we to do with social media releases? While the format is different from a press release, a social network release is essentially the same thing: it's an organization telling journalists/bloggers/etc. that they'd like that group to tell you the reader the story. For that reason, Directions Media will treat them just like press releases: they can be posted directly to our website via this form (registration required). Readers can find both types of releases in our daily newsletter, on the front page of Directions Magazine and via RSS feed.

You recall ODT, the folks who put mapping into the West Wing and most recently introduced an equal area US Map. On Nov 10 the company will offer the debut here in Boston of a 30 minute documentary it produced about Arno Peters, the fellow behind the Peters Projection. The release notes the film took 6 years to make and includes interviews with Peters recorded before his death in 2002.

- press release