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PR Newswire started out in 1954 as a vendor hired by companies and agencies to send out text press releases to the media. Today, PR Newswire is hired by corporations, public relations firms and non-governmental organizations to deliver news and multimedia content. Recipients include the media, consumers and investors who access the content via the Web, RSS, e-mail, satellite, equities terminals (such as Bloomberg and Reuters), and direct feeds into newsroom editorial systems. The headquarters are in Lower Manhattan, New York City.^[1]

Public corporations in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and other nations, use PR Newswire as a method of reaching the investment and financial news community with important news and announcements, thus achieving the standard of "simultaneous disclosure" required by financial markets and regulatory agencies.

Headquartered in New York, PR Newswire has offices in 16 countries and sends news to outlets in 135 countries. The company has several brands and services that include ProfNet, eWatch, MEDIAtlas, MultiVu, U.S. Newswire, Vintage Filings, MediaRoom and MediaSense. It also has agreements with global news agencies such as Bloomberg, the Associated Press, Dow Jones and Thomson Reuters to send information directly to newsrooms worldwide. PR Newswire is also partner with the African Press Organization. PR Newswire is a subsidiary of United Business Media Limited of London.

History[link]

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In 1954, PR Newswire was the first to create a system for electronic distribution of news releases. Prior to its establishment, companies issuing press releases to the New York media had to messenger, dictate or mail individual copies of their news releases to the city’s daily newspapers and news services. With PR Newswire, companies could send a single copy of their release to PR Newswire's newsroom, where it would be simultaneously transmitted to the city's major media points.

PR Newswire was later sold to Western Union, which had provided the telecommunications lines and teleprinters that supported the service.

PR Newswire created Investors Research Wire in 1965, which disseminated corporate news releases directly to brokerage firms and financial analysts. In 1967, the company acquired the local Los Angeles wire service.

In 1972, PR Newswire began using electronic terminals for copyediting.

In 1978, the company went digital with the adoption of the Associated Press' computerized message handling and transmission system.

In 1982, the company was purchased by United Newspapers plc (today known as United Business Media Limited) of London

In 1982, PR Newswire expanded its presence through acquisitions, beginning with the purchase of Philadelphia-based Mediawire in 1983. By the end of the 1980s, many U.S. dailies and financial institutions took PR Newswire directly into their internal information systems. PR Newswire also began archiving news releases on electronic databases, including NEXIS (now LexisNexis).

In 1996, PR Newswire began releasing news directly to consumers via the Web with the launch of www.prnewswire.com.

In 2001, PR Newswire issued the first Multimedia News Release for Touchstone Pictures promoting the film, "Pearl Harbor." The Multimedia News Release was the first press release to include b-roll, soundbites, high resolution images, and film trailer.^[2] Many refer to the Multimedia News Release as a [Social Media Press Release] or [Social Media Release].

In 2002, PR Newswire started MultiVu, its own broadcast and multimedia production company, to create and deliver video/audio news releases, multimedia news releases, satellite and radio media tours, public service announcements, electronic multimedia kits and Web video.

In October 2006, PR Newswire acquired U.S. Newswire from Medialink.^[3]

In February 2006, PR Newswire began adding social media links to every press release issued. PR Newswire began with del.icio.us and later added Digg, Reddit, Newsvine and StumbleUpon.

In January 2007, PR Newswire began including links to Technorati allowing readers to track online conversations in the blogosphere directly from press releases on http://www.prnewswire.com.^[4] PR Newswire later added functionality enabling readers to blog about each press release with one click on Blogger or Wordpress.

In April 2007, PR Newswire acquired the privately held Vintage Filings company.^[5]

In August 2007, PR Newswire acquired Notilog.^[6]

In Jan 2008, PR Newswire acquired Hispanimark,LLC and its subsidiaries, Hispanic PR Wire (http://www.hispanicprwire.com) and Hispanic Digital Network (http://www.hdnweb.com).^[7]

In November 2008, PR Newswire acquired full rights to Xinhua PR Newswire, effectively renaming it PR Newswire Asia.^[8]

In December 2008, PR Newswire moved its NY corporate headquarters from midtown Manhattan downtown to 350 Hudson Street.

In mid-2009, PR Newswire acquired The Fuel Team (http://www.thefuelteam.com)

September 2009, PR Newswire launched its new website at http://www.prnewswire.com

In September 2009, PR Newswire announced a partnership with MyPRGenie ^[9]

In the year 2010, PR Newswire is looking to set up and expand in the Indian market. Partnered with Livemango^[10] - an Indian Press Release Publisher as distribution partner.

See also[link]

	New York City portal
	Companies portal

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• PR Newswire Asia's main website
• Company profile at Yahoo! Finance
• Obituary of founder in the New York Times
• 1959 article in Time Magazine about the company