matte release
n.— «A fascinating borderline case is what is known as a “matte release.” This is a press release which is written like a complete news story. A publication of the United States Center for Disease Control (CDC) defines a matte release as “a free non-copyrighted preformatted news article made available to newspapers (typically second-tier papers) looking for stories.” The hope is that smaller newspapers, hungry for content and short on budgets, will print the item in its entirety as a regular news item.» —“Ethics @ Work: Public service or public relations?” Jerusalem Post (Israel) Nov. 17, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
National Book Award winner Barry Lopez had wise advice for young writers. First, read widely and follow your curiosity. Second, travel or learn a foreign language. And third, find out what you truly believe, because if you’re not writing from...
Twice a day the River Thames recedes, revealing a muddy shoreline. Hobbyists known as mudlarks stroll the surface searching for objects that have found their way into the river over the centuries, everything from ancient Roman jewelry to modern...