Many companies send out press releases but never put these on their website, preferring to keep them as a private communication with the media. I think there’s more to lose than is gained by doing this. Press release copy is by definition going to be well-written, meaty stuff that may well be picked up by the search engines, and I doubt that many companies would find any problem with these being the entry point to their websites. Indeed, ‘newsy’ press release titles may look quite good in search engine results. They also give prospects the feeling that they’ve stumbled on to something here.
Media sections on websites are also useful resources for journalists, so they work for everyone. They can often point journalists towards additional related material they might have missed, such as feature articles or case studies. They’re also a good place to host images and other media for the press – much better than sending the images out with press releases, even as direct links, because they can be updated whenever things change or we want to offer alternative content.
Indeed, when it comes to information that might change, I’d consider removing as much as possible from a press release: more information contacts, media, supporting content, etc. No journalist will mind clicking through to a website for what they need, and this way we can ensure what we’re offering is always up to date.