Short answers, pulled from the story.
Ivy Lee created the first press release in October 1906 following a Pennsylvania Railroad accident near Atlantic City, New Jersey. He distributed a statement detailing the facts of the crash directly to reporters and The New York Times published his exact words.
A professional press release contains letterhead or logos, media contact information, headlines, sub-headlines called Deks, datelines, introduction paragraphs, body sections, boilerplates, and closing symbols like -30- or ###. These elements appear in that specific order from top to bottom on every document.
Medianet became the first local company in Australia to provide such distribution services for businesses and governments. This service allows small and medium enterprises to distribute content as-is to selected media outlets via email and online channels.
Full-blown video news releases cost tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars to produce. These pre-taped programs air intact by TV stations and include interviews with movie stars taped on sets decorated with studio logos.
Journalists lack legal obligation to withhold information unless they sign legally binding non-disclosure agreements beforehand. Violating embargos risks damaging relationships with issuing organizations and harming writer reputations while potentially leading to blacklisting.