What is a newswire?

A newswire is an online service that allows companies to post press releases and other announcements to the public. Journalists monitor newswire services and pick up stories that they think are worthy of coverage. Newswires are generally viewed as trustworthy sources of information.

How newswires work

1. Two types of newswires

   News agencies such as Reuters and AP are often referred to as newswires. They are paid services that employ their own journalists and then sell stories to newspapers and other news outlets. Other newswires, such as PR Newswire, are services that republish corporate announcements verbatim and that are monitored by journalists.

2. Paid submissions

   Companies pay a fee to publish announcements over the newswire with the hope journalists will pick up on their announcements and write stories. Newswires offer companies broad reach to the news media and are viewed as credible.

3. Contact information

   In their releases or announcements, companies will include contact information, usually to a PR department or agency, that journalists can use to follow up if they want to write a story.

Newswire best practices

1. Make it interesting

   Editors want journalists to write stories that are of interest to readers. Simply pushing out release after release with the faint hope they'll be picked up is a waste of time. Think about what is unique about what you are announcing and why it might be of interest to the public.

2. Always reach AP, Reuters

   The news agencies have a broad reach to newspapers and other types of news outlets. With the downsizing of print news, the agencies have more relied on more than ever for quality news content. Don't neglect them.

3. Consider timing

   Newswires are publishing a lot of content each day. Before posting a release or announcement, take a hard look at what other organizations are posting and select a time to post when there's no overlap with other announcements, especially from competitors.