E-Media Tidbits

Gmail I consistently flag unsolicited press releases as spam. Do you?

(UPDATE SEPT. 20: This post spawned a related post and a very lively discussion on the popular blog TechDirt today.)

Like all journalists, I get announcements and releases from many sources. I'm generally not fond of traditional press releases, but there are some companies, organizations, and institutions I want or need to hear from -- and if the only way they communicate is press releases, so be it.

However, like all journalists, my e-mail address often gets added to various "press lists" without my permission. This really, really bugs me.

Consequently, I've gotten into the habit of marking any unsolicited press release I receive as spam. Since I use Gmail, this means that once I mark a message again my spam filter will automatically nab any subsequent messages coming from that sender.

I'm wondering -- are other journalists as harsh as I am on unsolicited e-mail press releases?

For the record, my first preference to receive announcements from is by feed -- so I subscribe to many corporate, nonprofit, government, and other feeds on beats that I cover. If a source I like doesn't offer a feed, I encourage them to start one -- and that works surprisingly often. They just need a nudge.

Only if I have no other option will I subscribe to receive e-mail alerts from anyone -- and then, the information must meet much more stringent "perceived value" criteria.

What's your strategy/preference for receiving announcements from potential sources? Please comment below.