Skip to content

How to Correct, Retract, or Archive a Press Release

Fix an error in a distributed press release by publishing a correction, withdraw it entirely with a retraction, take it out of editors' view by archiving it, or lift an embargo early. Each action takes a minute or two from the release's detail page.

Before You Begin

You will need:

The sidebar on a release's detail page only shows the actions its current status allows: for example, Retract submission appears only after distribution, and Delete submission only before it.

Instructions

Open the Press Release

  1. Sign in at https://business.pluckyworks.org/app/ and click the release on your dashboard.

  2. The action buttons sit in the sidebar of the detail page, below the release's distribution targets.

Respond to a Correction Request

When an editor at a receiving newsroom spots a problem, a yellow banner appears at the top of the detail page: "An outlet has requested a correction", with the editor's note describing what needs fixing and when they asked. Resolve it by publishing a correction. The requesting newsroom sees your corrected version arrive in their feed.

Publish a Correction

A correction replaces the text of your release everywhere it was distributed, without changing its distribution list.

  1. Click Create correction, then click Create correction again in the confirmation window. The current version stays visible to editors until the correction is distributed.

  2. The compose wizard opens, pre-filled with the release's current content. Edit whatever needs fixing, text and media both.

  3. Click through to Submit for review. The correction passes the same review as the original; your dashboard shows it as Correction in review.

  4. When review passes, continue to the "Review & submit correction" page. The correction goes to the same newsrooms as the original; you don't pick targets again. Confirm to distribute it.

Note

Until the correction is distributed, editors continue to see the original version. There's no gap where the release disappears.

Lift an Embargo Early

  1. Click Lift embargo.

  2. In the "Lift Embargo?" window, click Lift embargo to confirm. The release becomes visible and downloadable immediately, and the embargo can't be re-armed: once lifted, it's gone.

Archive a Press Release

Archive a release when its moment has passed and you no longer want it in front of editors.

Warning

Archiving removes the release from editors' Paid Content tab and takes down its public page. Editors who already downloaded it keep what they downloaded.

  1. Click Archive.

  2. In the "Archive Submission?" window, click Archive to confirm. The release moves to Archived on your dashboard.

Retract a Press Release

Retract a release when its content should never have gone out: a factual failure, a legal problem, an announcement that has been called off. Retraction is a public signal to every newsroom that received it.

Retraction cannot be undone

Retracting tells every outlet that received this release that the content has been withdrawn. The release is not deleted: outlets keep their copy and see a Retracted badge. If the content is fixable, publish a correction instead.

  1. Click Retract submission.

  2. In the "Retract Submission?" window, click Retract submission to confirm. Every recipient newsroom now sees a Retracted badge on the release, and your detail page records when it was retracted.

Delete a Draft

A submission that has never been distributed can be deleted outright.

Warning

Deleting removes the submission from your dashboard and every other view. This cannot be undone.

  1. Click Delete submission, then confirm Delete submission in the "Delete Submission?" window.

What Happens Next

  • After a correction distributes: every newsroom that received the original sees the corrected version, and any editor who requested a correction sees the update arrive in their feed. Your release returns to Distributed status, keeping its engagement history.
  • After a retraction: editors see the Retracted badge wherever the release appears. Expect follow-up questions to your media contact. A retraction is itself news to a newsroom that already covered the announcement.
  • After archiving: the release drops out of editors' view and its public page stops working. Your engagement numbers are preserved on the detail page.

Next Steps

Troubleshooting

  • I don't see the button I need: Actions depend on status. Create correction and Retract submission require a distributed release; Delete submission requires one that has never been distributed; Lift embargo requires an active embargo.
  • My correction was rejected in review: Corrections pass the same review as new submissions. Open the findings, fix them, and resubmit. The original stays live with editors in the meantime.
  • I archived a release by mistake: Archiving isn't destructive to your data (the release and its history stay on your dashboard), but restoring it to editors' view isn't something you can do yourself. Email support.
  • Still stuck? Email support@pluckyworks.org.