What does a press office do?
A press office centralizes all communication between a company and the media. Its role is to make the company accessible and understandable to journalists, and to manage its presence in the news.
Its core responsibilities include:
- Writing and distributing press releases and press kits.
- Responding to requests from journalists (requests for information, interviews, or comments).
- Organizing media appearances : interviews, press briefings, and event participation.
- Monitoring media coverage and reporting on results.
In-house or external press office?
A press office can be in-house (an internal department, often reporting to the communications director) or outsourced to a PR agency.
For a large company with a continuous stream of news, an in-house press office is justified. For a startup or scale-up, outsourcing provides access to an established network of journalists without the need to hire a dedicated team.
Press office vs. PR agency: what's the difference?
The two concepts overlap significantly. The press office refers to the function of managing media relations, while thePR agency refers to the external service provider that can perform this function. When a company entrusts its press office to an outside provider, it is working with a PR agency.
It should also not be confused with anews agency, which produces and sells information to media outlets (like the AFP) and performs a different role. To learn more, see what a PR agency does.
