DWPub Sporadic

Press releases overtake reported news as primary source of information

Press releases are now more important than the trade press for office workers, according to research.
In a recent report US research firm Outsell describes this as an ‘eye-popping’ shift in how people get information. Previously, trade journals had been the most popular source of information for 'knowledge workers'.
Although this is US research, it is likely a similar trend is occurring in the UK. The report said the popularity of press releases could be because "press releases are more widely available for users to access directly, and they offer the key facts in an abbreviated package".
The report also pointed to "increased RSS and other ‘push’ functionalities, and the simple increased availability of press releases either directly from publishers or via aggregators".
Trade journals are described as holding a "strong" second place in the ranking of information sources for knowledge workers.
The research lends weight to the argument that all press releases should be submitted to an online press release wire in order to ensure they can be reached not only by journalists but corporate decision makers and the general public.
The report was based on the results of a poll of 7,000 knowledge workers between late 2004 and early 2006.
The survey results coincides with news that page impressions on the Response Source and SourceWire websites, which both feature our Press Release Wire service, have exceeded one million per month, additional evidence that the audience for press release material is expanding.
See our guide for more information on the benefits of our press release wires.

Daryl launches blog version of Sporadic

I've been cynical about blogging in the past, but the practicalities of the format have finally led me to launch a blog verson of the DWPub Sporadic.
It will feature the best of the email version, which began life in 2001 as the FE Sporadic (after FeaturesExec) and was renamed the DWPub Sporadic in July 2005.
I was swayed to finally produce a blog when I realised it is a great way of archiving useful stuff online. Many of the articles in this newsletter would benefit from having a place in the web instead of just appearing in a one-off email.