Mat release

A mat release (also called a matte release) is a type of advertorial article associated with public relations and advertising.^[1]

The mat release is a short, feature story designed to appear like a newspaper article but contains persuasive communication in promotion of a product or idea.^[2] Mat releases are distributed gratis to smaller publications, such as community newspapers.^[3] Newspapers which run mat releases often do so to augment "soft content" sections of their publications, or to fill "news holes" due to staff shortages.^[4][5]

A mat release is different from a press release; the latter is a communications device targeted towards journalists.^[1] Mat releases, by contrast, are designed to target the public directly.^[1]

References

1. Broom, Glen (2012). Cutlip and Center's Effective Public Relations. Pearson PLC. pp. 187–188. ISBN 978-0132669153.
2. Carden, Ann (2010). Public Relations Writing Worktext: A Practical Guide for the Profession. Routledge. p. 210. ISBN 978-1135231576.
3. Schiavo, Renata (2011). Health Communication: From Theory to Practice. Wiley & Sons. p. 139. ISBN 978-1118040966.
4. Goldberg, Barbara. "How to Stay in Control of Your PR Message". allbusiness.com. allbusiness.com. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
5. Business Communication. PHI Learning. 2009. p. 135. ISBN 978-8120337299.