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The PR headline I provided was,

Acme Co to exhibit in western states for first time

The editor changed it to

Acme Co expands sales program to western United States

These are fundamentally different ideas. Acme Co already has some dealers in the western United States. Acme Co however has never traveled west to exhibit at any trade shows. Additionally, Acme Co sells exclusively through dealers. I find the new headline a bit misleading and not suited to our goal:

We already have dealers in the West. We're looking to expand our dealer network.

What methods can I use to address this or since it is in a sense "free advertising" is it best to just let it go?

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    Have you spoken to them about this?
    – CLockeWork
    Jan 28, 2014 at 10:10
  • No I haven't done anything yet, thats why I'm asking for methods. Its a very small operation they have for the trade publication not some big newspaper or anything. I don't want to offend anyone. Really if they had changed it to Acme Co expands sales program IN western United States it would be fine. But to makes it sound like we don't currently have anything out there.
    – Ryan
    Jan 28, 2014 at 13:29
  • Personally I don't think asking them to change it is a major issue. As long as you're reasonable about it, and express clearly your concerns, as you have here. After having already prepped it they aren't likely to pull it out of spite. On the other hand, you haven’t stated whether it's already gone out, or whether it's in print or electronic media. Let's put it this way; if they've sent you a copy to review, then correct it (that would be why they sent it to you,) if it's already gone out then you may want to let it go.
    – CLockeWork
    Jan 28, 2014 at 13:34
  • Its already gone out. If you want to state your comments as an answer and others upvote seeming to agree then I can mark it the correct answer.
    – Ryan
    Jan 28, 2014 at 13:44
  • Thank you @Ryan, but as this is just my personal opinion I'd rather not put it as an answer. If it's print, and it's already gone out, then there's nothing that can be done about it (the cost would be huge) I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help.
    – CLockeWork
    Jan 28, 2014 at 13:46

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Even though I'm late to the game, I'll submit in the hope that my answer will be useful in the future. The following may come off as cynical but it isn't meant that way - it's just my opinion on the purpose and intent of a corporate PR publication.

You mentioned (justifiable) concern that the revised headline is misleading, but when it comes to corporate press releases, accuracy and clarity of message are generally secondary in importance. That's because they're more advertising than reporting. If people expected objectivity and accuracy from corporate press releases, they'd look to car manufacturers for useful reviews on their models, energy companies for updates on the latest developments in solar panel tech, etc.

Consider the edits in the context of other publications you've submitted. That will probably tell you if the editor changed the wording out of incompetence/sloppiness or because they wanted to communicate another idea - no matter how inaccurate. For example, Acme co. may want to re-emphasize their presence in the area. Since a company is not expected to adhere to principles of journalistic integrity, they might have decided the best way to grab potential dealers' attention is to give the impression they're "breaking into" the region.

In other words, consider the chances that the editor changed the wording intentionally rather than carelessly, and raise/don't raise the issue depending on your conclusion.

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