Embargo Breach
When a journalist publishes embargoed news before the agreed release time.
Definition
An embargo breach occurs when a journalist or outlet publishes embargoed news before the agreed-upon release date and time. Breaches can happen intentionally for competitive advantage, accidentally due to time zone confusion, or through technical errors like premature publishing.
Breaches are serious violations of journalist-PR relationships. They can derail coordinated launch plans, anger other journalists who honored the embargo, and damage the breaching outlet's reputation within the PR community.
Why It Matters
Embargo breaches can undermine carefully planned launches and damage relationships with journalists who respected the agreement. Understanding breach risks helps PR professionals protect announcements and respond appropriately.
For PR teams, managing embargo risk is essential for coordinating major announcements.
Examples in Practice
A tech blogger publishes an embargoed product announcement two hours early, forcing the company to accelerate their entire launch plan.
After an embargo breach by a major outlet, the PR team must quickly notify all other journalists to release their coverage immediately.
A journalist who repeatedly breaches embargoes is removed from future briefing lists, limiting their access to exclusive news.