Online newsroom
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An online newsroom (also known as a pressroom, mediaroom, press center or media center) is a public-facing web site that contains information about a corporation or organization. The online newsroom was initially created for corporate communicators and public relations firms to target traditional media outlets, fundamentally newspapers, magazines, radio stations and television stations. Multiple public relations audience interests are now supported, including media relations, investor and analyst relations, community relations, and consumer social media relations.
Most online newsrooms contain the essential corporate press materials such as press releases, searchable archives, press kits, low-resolution and high-resolution, print quality photographs, logos, audio, video, executive biographies, public relations contact information, scheduled events, company history, and awards and honors. In addition, an online newsroom may accommodate interactive consumer-generated content where product evangelists, disgruntled consumers and organizational spokespeople may post to an ongoing online conversation about the company or organization and its products, services or philosophy.
For branding consistency, the online newsroom graphically appears to be part of the corporate or organizational consumer-based web site. The consumer-based web site is usually maintained by an internal IT department; however, the need for corporate communication personnel to easily edit the online newsroom and distribute e-mail alerts brought about the origin of the online newsroom software product.
The first known online newsroom product was developed by TEKgroup International, Inc. ([1]) in 1998 and deployed for Ford Motor Company (http://media.ford.com). Since this time, several companies have either developed or partnered with technical companies to offer a standalone, branded online newsroom solution. These companies include Business Wire ([2]), PR Newswire ([3]), iPressroom ([4]), and NewsCactus ([5]). Additionally, some companies offer an online newsroom component as a component of a larger software package that integrates the online newsroom with a media contact database and media monitoring services. These companies include VMS ([6]), Vocus ([7]), Medialink ([8]), and Cision ([9]).
Over the years, feature capability found within the online newsroom has advanced rapidly. The content management administration tool of an online newsroom intrinsically works as an intuitive word processor comprised of basic formatting functionality such as bold, italic, underline, graphic insertion and hyperlink insertion. It also allows for foreign language accommodation, scheduled workflow and reporting statistics.
Online newsroom pioneer TEKgroup International, Inc. ([10]), along with other organizations such as Bulldog Reporter ([11]) and Middleberg Euro RSCG have conducted surveys to determine desired features, functions and future needs for how journalists use the Internet for research. The results of these surveys are made available to the public and are used to guide corporations, organizations and online newsroom providers.
Examples of online newsrooms include:
• Ford Motor Company – http://media.ford.com
• Delta Air Lines – http://media.delta.com
• Bank of America - http://bankofamerica.mediaroom.com
• CarMax – http://media.carmax.com
• Les Olson Company - http://news.lesolsoncompany.com
