PR NEWSWIRE PICTURE DESK TO INCREASE PHOTO VISIBILITY

AAP General News (Australia)
02-19-1999
PR NEWSWIRE PICTURE DESK TO INCREASE PHOTO VISIBILITY
PR NEWSWIRE PICTURE DESK TO INCREASE PHOTO VISIBILITY TO THOUSANDS
OF MEDIA OUTLETS

February 18, 1999

ATLANTA -- More than 4,400 photo editors who use the online AP
Photo Archive soon will be able to access PR Newswire member photos
under a new agreement reached with The Associated Press, PR
Newswire announced today at Editor & Publishers Interactive
Newspapers 99 Conference.

The AP Photo Archive, http://photoarchive.ap.org, formerly restricted to news
photos, has a new Topic Gallery section for business photos that are available
at no cost to journalists. The new option augments PRNs already comprehensive
commercial photo distribution network via the AP PhotoExpress Network and
NewsCom. Corporate images sent through the PRNewsFotos service with this
option will begin to reside in the archive beginning in March. By summer,
hundreds of PRN member photos will be available from the web site.

"Producers of media web sites are hungry for online photos and corporate logos
to bring their stories to life and to meet daily deadlines on the Internet,"
said David B. Armon, PRNs vice president for national sales. "We have chosen
to announce our inclusion in the AP Photo Archive at the Editor & Publisher
Conference because we are now in a terrific position to provide the online
media with photos and logos alongside breaking news."

PRN is working to enhance the quality and effectiveness of member
photos through a formal Picture Desk under veteran photo executive
Hal Buell, who spent 25 years as executive picture editor for The
Associated Press.

"We have dramatically increased our in-house photo capability based on our
members expanding usage of photo services and the medias demand for high
quality artwork, especially for news web sites," Buell said. "We have tripled
the photo staff and are offering new and improved products. Inclusion of our
photos in the AP Photo Archive provides even greater access to journalists
around the clock."

Under Buell, the PRN Picture Desk will handle all of the collection and
distribution of customer photos worldwide in addition to developing new photo
products and assisting clients. Helen Dowler, recently promoted to manager of
photo services, will continue to run the day-to-day operations of the desk. A
graduate of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse
University, the veteran consumer advertising and public relations professional
joined PRN four years ago.

More than 1,000 U.S. newspapers receive PRNewsFotos via the AP
PhotoExpress Network, while another 1,600 media points retrieve the
photos through leading text and photo database NewsCom. Photos sent
over PRN photo circuits are distributed and archived with news
releases PRN sends to scores of premier online databases and web
sites across the Internet. Journalists also may receive custom
e-mail delivery of PRN news releases and photos that fall under
their chosen topics.

A membership cooperative founded in 1848, The Associated Press is
the worlds oldest and largest newsgathering organization. With
headquarters in New York, AP provides news, photos, graphics, audio
and video to more than 15,000 newspapers and broadcast outlets
worldwide.

PR Newswire, http://www.prnewswire.com, remains the world leader in
the electronic distribution of full-text news releases to the media
and financial community since founding the industry 45 years ago.
With 29 U.S. bureaus, five overseas bureaus through division PRN
International, an exclusive partnership with Canada NewsWire and
its vast network of wire, fax, e-mail and Internet delivery, PRN
serves the news release needs of public relations and investor
relations professionals worldwide.

For more information, please contact Hal Buell, of PR Newswire, at
+1 212-782-2461, Hal_Buell@prnewswire.com; Eva Parziale, director
of the AP Photo Archive at The Associated Press, at +1
212-621-1909; or Renu K. Aldrich, PRNs public relations manager,
at +1 212- 282-1929, 800-503-2654 (pager),
Renu_Aldrich@prnewswire.com.

KEYWORD: OTHERS

1999 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.