New site aims to connect companies with journalists

Claire Cain Miller of The New York Times writes about NewsBasis, a new site launching Monday that aims to connect companies and industry organizations with journalists writing articles in which they may want to be involved in.

Miller writes, “On NewsBasis, sources can also add a footnote to articles across the Web, so when reporters are doing research using their Web browser, a tab will appear indicating that a NewsBasis source has offered a different point of view or corrected a fact.

“Mr. Siry says that is one of the biggest differences between NewsBasis and similar services, like PR Newswire’s ProfNet and Help a Reporter Out, which in June was acquired by Vocus, a public relations software company. NewsBasis also sends requests in real time and plans to build a searchable database of questions and answers and a system to rank sources like companies, academics or associations based on whether they have been helpful, Mr. Siry said.

“NewsBasis has raised $545,000 from Zelkova Ventures and individual investors and is raising additional capital. The service is free, although Mr. Siry plans to eventually charge companies and P.R. agencies.”

Read more here.