Can You Help a Reporter?

Publicist Peter Shankman's new free service, "Help a Reporter," is getting good reviews from the journalists I know who have tried it. They're impressed with the quality of the responses from Shankman's growing list of subscribers.

Here's how it works: Journalists use an online form to post a query for sources -- expert or otherwise. Shankman pastes the inquiries into an e-mail message sent to subscribers. They go out three times a day. Subscribers contact journalists directly when they can help.

It will be interesting to see if Shankman can generate enough participation to give ProfNet/PR Leads decent competition. The timing is right for an alternative, but whether or not it happens depends on volume on both sides. But it also depends on the quality of responses from subscribers. If they're consistently off-target, it will discourage writers from using the service. And without queries, nobody will have an opportunity to help a reporter.

I hope it thrives. I love Shankman's entrepreneurship!