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
Asthenosphere, a geologist’s term for the molten layer beneath the earth’s crust, sparks a journey that stretches all the way from ancient Greece to the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Plus: What the heck is a dogberg? It’s when...
Some TV commercials launch catchphrases that stick around long after the original ads. The exclamation Good stuff, Maynard! is still a compliment almost 40 years after it was used in a commercial for Malt-O-Meal hot cereal. And: what do you call...