Backgrounder
A document providing detailed context and background information for journalists.
Definition
A backgrounder is a PR document that provides comprehensive context about a company, product, executive, or issue—more depth than a press release but not meant for direct publication. Backgrounders inform journalist understanding, enabling more accurate, substantive coverage.
Typical backgrounders include company history, market context, technical details, competitive positioning, and supporting data. They answer the questions journalists will have while researching stories, saving them time and shaping coverage context.
Why It Matters
Backgrounders increase coverage quality by ensuring journalists have accurate context. Misinformation and gaps get filled one way or another—better to proactively provide correct information than let journalists find or invent alternatives.
Good backgrounders demonstrate credibility and professionalism, building journalist confidence in your information.
Examples in Practice
A comprehensive company backgrounder helps a journalist new to the beat write accurately about industry context.
A technical backgrounder explains complex product capabilities in terms accessible to general business reporters.
A historical backgrounder provides narrative context that enriches feature coverage beyond basic news facts.