Today I registered for a new service called Help A Reporter, what seems to be a mom and pop version of ProfNet (full disclosure: ProfNet's parent company PRNewswire just signed on as a conference sponsor today).
I've received a few Help a Reporter e-mails today digesting requests for sources from various reporters, and actually saw some topics that would fit experts at my company. It appears many of the reporters are freelancers or bloggers (most have gmail, yahoo or hotmail e-mail addresses) but it still seems like a viable approach for companies who have the interest in new and social media and the resources to monitor these posts.
While the idea of these services is nothing new, it certainly is interesting to see how reporters are relying more and more on them. While responding to these queries does not guarantee a hit every time, I personally have gained some great stories by firing back a response and pitching my expert. It's also great to scan these queries and see what's top of mind in newsrooms (and the home offices of bloggers and freelancers) across the country.
A few months ago I was asked to research some of the PR services we use at my company. I sat in on a teleseminar that featured reporters from two daily newspapers. Both time-strapped reporters said that they rely on services like ProfNet and Help A Reporter now more than ever because of the broad, instant reach to potential sources.
Do you have any good (or bad) experiences to share about these services, or any best practices? Have you registered for HelpAReporter.com? Tell us in the comments section.
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