Missouri trying to take advantage of Cumberland situation

[Tim_T]

by spreading lies. This is a press release I recieved this morning from a tourism group in the Ozarks. There is a lot of misinformation in here:

Lake Cumberland's Woes Equal Tourism Boost for Ozark Mountain Region

Flippin, Arkansas -- The Ozark Mountain Region announced today that they are ready to absorb the estimated 2 million vacationers who may be displaced by the Wolf Creek Dam water shortage crisis that leaves Lake Cumberland boaters and fisherman high and dry for an estimated seven years. Check out all the reasons for Cumberland fishermen to select the Ozark Mountain lakes. (http://www.ozarkmountainregion.com/lakes-rivers/cumberland_lake.asp )

This will be a great relief to the Lake Cumberland sportsmen who were warned by Kentucky Commerce Secretary George Ward that as many as 90 percent of Lake Cumberland launching ramps will be unusable, while Corps engineers are predicting fish kills because of a rise in water temperature.

Kelly Linck, Executive Director of the Ozark Mountain Region tourism association, says, "Unlike Lake Cumberland, we have an abundance of water at our Ozark Twin Lakes, and it's crystal clear. We invite folks affected by the Lake Cumberland water shortage to come enjoy our world class fishing, white water adventures, boating, scuba diving, skiing and sailing."

Visitors to the Ozark Mountain Region will find "The Caribbean of the Midwest" as they discover the wonders of scuba diving and fishing in the pristine waters of Bull Shoals Lake. The largest of the Ozark Twin Lakes, Bull Shoals has more than 1,000 miles of beautiful mountain shoreline where visitors can enjoy more than 72,000 acres of glass-smooth water stocked with game fish from crappie to walleye.

And if that isn't enough, anglers are invited to try the fishing at Lake Norfork, famous for its lunker black bass and mighty ocean stripers, and home to walleye, crappie and catfish. Anglers can choose from 54 individual fishing areas which have been identified for game, bait, lake profile and seasonal factors. Night fishing with lights for white bass and crappie is available to those who wish to fish 'round the clock'. With its vast expanse of deep blue water, Norfork Lake has become a favorite location for scuba diving and spear fishing. Water sports enthusiasts enjoy the rare opportunity for clear water skiing, wake boarding and boating.


Media Contact:
Kelly Linck, Ozark Mountain Region, (870) 404-8904, [email protected]

[Grumpy]

All's fair in love, war and advertizing!!

[mattplapp]

I would have to say that is deceptive and misleading advertising, which is a violation under the FCC Media Laws and Regulations. I've seen companies take a strong stance against a competitor, but never from a non-profit 10 hours away??? I guess we better start advertising in our market against the other Triton/Skeeter/Bullet/Basscat dealers in Alaska.

Matt

[geobass]

Matt, I'm so sorry. They heard that I had just moved here from Kentucky. When I was asked what was the main reason, I said for the fine bass fishing. Then I was asked if Kentucky had bass, I said they used to, until they drained Lake Cumberland.
These comments are just a joke.

Would you be as mad if the folks at Kentucky Lake ran this ad? I didn't see anything wrong with it, other than I don't want to see all of the Ohio Navy heading this way!
From what I hear, Lake Cumberland is on fire! Bass just jumping in the boat.
I do not think you have anything to worry about. Not many are going to make a 10 hour drive one way to boat or fish for the weekend.
Good luck on the river tournament this year. I for one am going to miss it.
George Salov

[Tim_T]

I would have to say that is deceptive and misleading advertising, which is a violation under the FCC Media Laws and Regulations. I've seen companies take a strong stance against a competitor, but never from a non-profit 10 hours away??? I guess we better start advertising in our market against the other Triton/Skeeter/Bullet/Basscat dealers in Alaska.

Matt

Matt,, that would be kind of tricky to prove. This was not an advertisement, but a press release sent out to various media. I am not sure that it would qualify as advertising under the FCC laws.

[mattplapp]

A press release is 100% advertising. This is what I do for a living, we pay PR firms to create stories and get them published. It's a form of advertising that most readers don't realize is advertising. Most think a reporter beat the street and found a juicy story. When in fact most articles you see in the paper and on the internet not dealing with murders or acts of god, are in fact paid advertisements through Press Releases professionally prepared to bring attention to something a company is doing to create business. Oh yes, it's advertising

George, I'm not mad at anyone, and I don't think it will affect our business, but it's just dissapointing to see someone so un-informed (who-ever published the press release) print something so mis-leading.

Matt

[Tim_T]

A press release is 100% advertising. This is what I do for a living, we pay PR firms to create stories and get them published. It's a form of advertising that most readers don't realize is advertising. Most think a reporter beat the street and found a juicy story. When in fact most articles you see in the paper and on the internet not dealing with murders or acts of god, are in fact paid advertisements through Press Releases professionally prepared to bring attention to something a company is doing to create business. Oh yes, it's advertising.Matt

Matt, if you are paying people to put out press releases and they are printing them as is, then your PR firm deserves a raise and the publication's editors deserve to be unemployed.

I have been a member of the media for over 20 years. I have done "hard news," sports and now outdoors. If you sent me a press release, chances are, nothing would be done about it, but if it was it would not be published "as is."

I get press releases nearly every day from outdoor companies as well as state agencies such as KDFWR. I rarely do anything with them, unless it is a good story line. When I do, I normally take some of the information and the contact name and number, and call and get real information for the story I am about to write. This helps weed out the unpaid advertisement.

Here is a good example. Back in December, I got a press release from KDFWR concerning the opening of the Knobs State Forest and WMA in Bullitt County. I called the wildlife biologist who was in charge of managing it, and wrote a story. It was completely different from what was in the press release, but had a lot to do with what would be allowed (not mentioned in the press release) and what would not, management goals etc. That story ran in the March issue of Midwest Outdoors magazine.


Not trying to argue this point, but any editor that is printing press releases as is, is asleep at the wheel, and I can not imagine this happening at a major publication.

[mattplapp]

I'm not sure what market you work in, but I've been involved in the media for about 12 years and what you are saying versus what happens is completely opposite. I can show you on any given day news articles in the paper, on tv and on the internet that were 100% started from a press release. Example, well I've got 6 articles framed in our hallway of our store that were on the FRONT page of the Cincinnati Newpaper, all 6 came from a Press Release, I should know I'm the one who did it. The public may believe what they see in the media, but I've been on the inside for many years, and if you are as well then your either in a REALLY small market or you've got the blinders on. I can look through todays Cincinnati Newspaper and show you at least 20 articles that are all generated because of a press release.

Todays media companies do not have enough employees to drum up stories anymore, they take what's given to them.

That facts still remain, someone from a non-profit government oriented agency spent money to release this "Press Release" AKA advertising to try and put a false image of one of our state's largest tourist attractions, one that was false.

Matt

[Tim_T]

Matt, I think what you said and what I am saying are the same thing. Stories are GENERATED by press releases, but are not published as is. They are rewritten by a reporter who has the responsibility to check facts before they go to print.

Another difference between a press release and an advertisement is money. You stated you paid a PR firm to get the press releases out to the media, but did you buy advertising space from the newspaper or were the articles written as a feature?

As an example, if the press release above was published in a newspaper and nobody checked the facts in the press release, the company putting out the press release would not be in trouble, but the newspaper has the responsibilty to call the appropriate people in KY to verify that the facts are correct (which in this case they were not).

I currently am a freelance outdoor writer with credits in major national magazines, as well as smaller markets, but I have worked for major market newspapers including a few years in the sports department at the Louisville Courier-Journal. I never witnessed or even heard about anybody printing a press release as is, unless it was paid for as an advertisement which leaves the newspaper off the hook for false claims.

I think we actually agree on this, but we are having a hard time communicating through are words on the computer.

I do know we agree on the main point of why I started this thread, there was too much false information in the press release.

[geobass]

Matt, I think what you said and what I am saying are the same thing. Stories are GENERATED by press releases, but are not published as is. They are rewritten by a reporter who has the responsibility to check facts before they go to print.

Another difference between a press release and an advertisement is money. You stated you paid a PR firm to get the press releases out to the media, but did you buy advertising space from the newspaper or were the articles written as a feature?

As an example, if the press release above was published in a newspaper and nobody checked the facts in the press release, the company putting out the press release would not be in trouble, but the newspaper has the responsibilty to call the appropriate people in KY to verify that the facts are correct (which in this case they were not).

I currently am a freelance outdoor writer with credits in major national magazines, as well as smaller markets, but I have worked for major market newspapers including a few years in the sports department at the Louisville Courier-Journal. I never witnessed or even heard about anybody printing a press release as is, unless it was paid for as an advertisement which leaves the newspaper off the hook for false claims.

I think we actually agree on this, but we are having a hard time communicating through are words on the computer.

I do know we agree on the main point of why I started this thread, there was too much false information in the press release.

If you are a writer.. You should know that the statement "we are having a hard time communicating through are words on the computer." Should have been "our" words, not "are" words.
I guess that is what spell check and grammer check are for! lol

[mattplapp]

I agree with you, but what you missing is that this press release was released on their own website as a press release which is deceptive because most of the public will view a website like theirs to report like a newspaper, the truth. It just amazes me to see stuff like that.

But, our Cumberland store has been selling boats like wild fire so there must be some great things at Cumberland still

Matt

[KR]

That article is 100% true to all of you Buckeyes. Yes the ramps will not be usable, c'mon fellas, we'll have the place to ourselves... to FISH!!!!!! Spread this article around! haha