Using FlashNews to push your message out
You think you get a lot of spam? Imagine being an assignment editor in a major newsroom. Their challenge is even tougher - they're supposed to get a lot of mail from complete strangers.
If only there were a way that legitimate news providers (like, say, campaigns and advocacy organizations) could ensure that their press releases get directly into the inbox. If only there were a way that the press could receive emailed press releases - segregated from the flood of spam.
Turns out there is. FlashNews started out as a system for distributing the crush of school-closure announcements and the like during weather mayhem, but has since expanded into a full-fledged press release distribution and news conference scheduling system. Originally designed to segregate real school-closure notices from the student pranksters, FlashNews now helps the media by putting press releases in a separate box than spam.
News organizations have found the system so reliable that some have set up automated publishing for all press releases that come inbound. See KGW for an example.
The system is free for media organizations, so they're all on the receiving end, and very inexpensive for nonprofits and campaigns - somewhere in the range of $80-$160 a year.
Kari Chisholm | July 16, 2004 | Comments (3) |
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Kari, this seems fairly similar to a number of other "news wire" services such as http://www.ascribe.org ("The Public Interest Newswire"), http://www.prnewswire.com, and http://www.prweb.com. Any thoughts about what, if anything, makes FlashNews different? Know anybody who's compared the cost/value of these different services?
Posted by: Jon Stahl | Jul 17, 2004 3:10:05 PM
Hi Jon -
Here are four of the main differences:
FlashNews executes on a TV market basis, with sub-regions by city. So you can post a release to go only to the Portland and Beaverton/Hills/Forest Grove media for example, so you can target more specifically.
Second, the media tends to watch FlashNews items fairly well as they are local-only. It is being used by more than 320 Portland area organizations, including some major police, fire and state agencies.
Third, FlashNews works with the media in covered cities to get releases onto their websites. In Portland, they currently are carried by KGW.com and KATU.com.
Finally, at $170, Flashnews costs per year for unlimited use about what you'd spend on a few releases through the other services.
Actually, I have talked with some of the Biz Wire people about this highly localized network and how it meets needs they currently miss.
Regards,
Craig Walker, FlashNews.net
Posted by: Craig Walker | Jul 17, 2004 6:00:37 PM
You know, I've subbed to receive Portland-keyword'd releases from PR Web, and I've yet to see even one.
Posted by: The One True b!X | Jul 17, 2004 7:38:03 PM
