Stretching the Truth in Press Releases

Whether intentional or unintentional, greenwashing--fudging the truth about things that are green--occurs too frequently in our industry. Oftentimes, stretching of the truth or blatant lying occurs in press releases sent out by vendors or hotels. Sometimes greenwashing can take the form of an exaggeration about the importance of a step a hotel has taken to green its operations--a press release about a property introducing a towel and linen reuse program, for example. Last year, I remember one company issuing a press release stating that it had introduced the lodging industry's "only reliable" green product directory.

Of course my publication's Product & Service Directory had already been up and running for three years. Ouch! Was the company really trying to suggest that my Directory was unreliable? Or, was the writer of the release just ignorant of the fact that my publication existed?

Earlier this week, a press release was issued about the Sheraton Seattle and its earning of four Green Leafs through the Audubon Green Leaf Eco-Rating Program. In the headline and in the first paragraph, it was stated that the Sheraton Seattle is the first eco-rated lodging facility in the state of Washington. Is the Sheraton really the first eco-rated hotel in Washington? Absolutely not. Other hotels have earned LEED or other green designations (Green Key, for example). But why would the author of the release confuse us by making a false statement? Was the press release author really trying to say that the Sheraton is the first Audubon eco-rated hotel in Washington? I suspect that is what was meant but now it is too late; everyone reading the release now believes the hotel is the first hotel in Washington to receive any kind of eco-rating. Arghhh.

Anyone writing a press release and distributing it over the Internet needs to be clear about what is the truth and what is not the truth. In an electronic age, fudged facts can be spread the world over in a heart beat.