K/E 2004 Will Distribute News Via US Newswire and Yahoo/News/Politics!

[flpoljunkie]

8/13/2004 11:49:00 AM

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=219-08132004

To: National Desk, Political Reporter

Contact: Allison Dobson of Kerry-Edwards 2004, 202-464-2800

WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Effective immediately, all news documents issued to the media and the public by the Kerry-Edwards 2004 Press Office will be distributed via U.S. Newswire. These documents will include press releases, statements, news advisories, schedules, backgrounders and speech texts for the candidates, families, surrogates and staff as appropriate.

"We are pleased to have the unique resources of U.S. Newswire at our disposal," said Michael Meehan, Communications Director of Kerry-Edwards 2004. "They have a long history of helping presidential candidates tell their story to the press and the public, and we look forward to having the benefit of their experienced staff and unique technology as we move into a phase in the campaign where voters are increasingly focused on the election."

U.S. Newswire (USN) uses the wire service technology of the Associated Press, along with Web-based and other sophisticated communications technologies, to distribute news and information issued directly from the source to print, broadcast and online media.

Additionally, through USN's unique agreements with online news services such as Yahoo! Google, Lexis/Nexis and others, Kerry- Edwards campaign news is posted in full to leading online news sites, enabling the research community, as well as the younger audiences that increasingly rely on online services, to receive news from the Kerry-Edwards campaign. Through U.S. Newswire's agreement with Yahoo!, Kerry-Edwards is the first presidential campaign to have its news and information posted directly to Yahoo! News/Politics ( http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=index2&cid=669 ). The effect of this unique arrangement may have been revealed in a recent Washington Post article, (A Bounce for JohnKerry.com, Washington Post, Aug. 11, 2004), which cited a new Nielsen/NetRatings survey showing traffic to www.JohnKerry.com has increased 191 percent in recent weeks, moving up to the 213th most popular site in the country. By comparison, the article stated, President Bush's site did not have enough visitors to even register with the survey.

U.S. Newswire began working for the John Kerry for President campaign in March 2004 and since then has distributed thousands of documents. USN has been contracted to provide news distribution by every leading vote-getter in each of the past four presidential elections.

[Robbien]

1. There were a couple of very good news releases there

in the last two or three days from the Kerry/Edwards campaign. It is a good place to see what they are up to and how they are responding to GOP slurs.