Are embargoes useful?

If you’re not in the media, a press embargo is an agreement where journalists receive information early but must not publish it until a specified date and time.

Less an agreement, and more a request from whoever is putting out a media release.

In theory, it lets organizations control the timing of news, ensuring coordinated, accurate coverage across all outlets simultaneously at launch.

There is nothing inherently wrong with an embargo. And if there is genuine interest in your story,

But they can be a great way to shoot yourself in the foot. They’re not really enforceable. If the news gets out first, you’ll have a bunch of grumpy journalists calling you up.

There’s a pretty good roundup in this article:

https://mumbrella.com.au/time-to-hit-pause-on-increasingly-absurd-embargoes-918278

Before slapping one on your press release, ask yourself if it's necessary and if you actually gain anything from it.

One other point not mentioned in this article: they can screw things up if it's news that might travel. I've seen stories dropped over an embargo that was set in Washington and made no sense in Singapore.