Have you got an expert who can discuss a timely news topic but aren’t sure how to alert the media to the expert’s availability? Take advantage of ProfNet’s Expert & Topic Alerts service, which is included in full ProfNet memberships.
Expert Alerts are sort of a “reverse Opportunity” — instead of a reporter asking for an expert, you tell the reporter about an expert who can discuss a timely topic. Alerts should be informational, not promotional, in nature. They can’t be used to promote a company, its products or services, survey results, etc. Instead, they should focus on the expert’s knowledge and/or opinion on an issue.
There are two types of alerts, Expert Alerts and Topic Alerts:
Expert Alerts
A ProfNet member can submit an Expert Alert on any topic at any time. It’s basically a 3- to 4-sentence pitch, and includes a quote from the expert and direct contact information for the PR person. (Can also include direct contact info for the expert, if desired.)
Examples:
LAW: New Patent Rules Equal New Strategies for Lawyers, Companies. Jim Murphy, intellectual property attorney with Thompson & Knight: “New rules designed to make the government’s patent examination process more efficient likely will force significant change in the way some companies and attorneys manage the process. The rules essentially place limits on the number of continuations that can be filed and on the number of claims that can be made for each application without penalty. It will make it much more expensive and more difficult to justify stringing cases along as a protective or competitive strategy, requiring firms to make a more precise initial set of claims.” Murphy cautions that it may take at least a year to assess the full impact of the new rules, which go into effect Nov. 1. Contact: …
CONSUMER ISSUES: Potential Big Shift in Toy Purchases from Chinese Recalls. Steven Posavac, associate professor of management at Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management and a marketing expert in the area of consumer judgment and decision processes: “Recalls of Chinese toys that have already gone to market suggest an ambient level of risk when a parent allows a child to play with such toys. Although the real risk to any one given child is small, the dangers are quite salient in the news and some parents are likely to avoid taking any chances and probably limit or avoid Chinese toys altogether. As a result, we are likely to see a significant shift in purchases and holiday gift-giving this season away from China-made toys and toward alternatives such as books, DVDs, video games, clothing or activity-based memberships or programs.” Contact: …
HEALTH: Treat Your Cold Naturally. Suzy Cohen, R.Ph., noted pharmacist and author of “The 24-Hour Pharmacist” (HarperCollins, 2007): “With cold season underway, it’s just a matter of time before you get a runny nose, cough and sore throat. If you’re suffering from the common cold, a visit to your doctor for antibiotics won’t do you any good. There are more than 200 cold viruses lurking around at all times, but antibiotics won’t be any help in trying to fight them off once they enter your body. Antibiotics are only useful in treating bacterial infections, so viral infections, like the common cold, must make their way through the body before the person affected starts to feel better. There are different things you can do to treat a cold quickly and naturally, such as get plenty of sleep, use a humidifier and take zinc, among others.” Cohen is available to speak about tips to treat your cold naturally, how to boost your immunity to help prevent a cold and the importance of zinc in the body, as well as other cold topics. Contact: …
Topic Alerts
Topic Alerts are groupings of Expert Alerts that are all on the same topic. For example, a Topic Alert on “Gun Rights” features several experts who can all discuss a proposed gun ban; “The Safety of Imported Products” cites experts who can discuss toy recalls; “Iran-U.S. Relations” includes defense experts who can comment on the likelihood of a U.S.-Iran war; and “California Wildfires” features experts in various areas of interest to reporters covering the wildfires.
Topics are chosen by ProfNet editors and vary according to what’s in the news. Once a topic is chosen, ProfNet will announce it via an advisory that runs like a query, with the organization name listed as “ProfNet Topic Alert.” If you have a topic you’d like to suggest for a Topic Alert, please let us know.
Distribution
Expert Alerts are sent to reporters daily according to the following schedule (subject to change, depending on volume and as news breaks):
Mondays: Business & Technology
Tuesdays: Education & Science
Wednesdays: Government & Law
Thursdays: Health & Medicine
Fridays: Entertainment & Living
Topic Alerts are sent to reporters 2-3 times per week.
Alerts are distributed to more than 7,000 reporters who have opted to receive them by e-mail, are posted on PR Newswire for Journalists, and are sent to more than 4,000 news organizations via PR Newswire’s US1 newswire.
The deadline for each distribution is 3 p.m. EST the previous day. For example, a health alert must be received by 3 p.m. Wednesday.
To submit an Expert or Topic Alert, ProfNet members should e-mail their item to profnetalerts@prnewswire.com. A ProfNet editor will contact them to confirm and with any questions.
[Please note: Expert & Topic Alerts submissions are open only to ProfNet members. Please contact us for more information on membership.]