PR Newswire and AP Wide World Photos, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Associated Press, today announced a partnership to offer a comprehensive, global photography service for communications professionals. The partnership, which unites the global leaders in photojournalism and commercial news dissemination, will enable PR Newswire members to quickly and easily secure professional photography services and utilize the images in news releases, annual reports, brochures and on the Web.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000306/PRNLOGO )

Working in conjunction with AP Wide World, PR Newswire will guide the client through the entire photography outsourcing process, from identifying a photographer to planning the shoot. Upon completion of the photography project, PR Newswire will advise the client on distribution options and help the client reach its key audiences through its extensive distribution network.

"We hear from reporters more and more that they want images to accompany stories," said Helen Dowler, PR Newswire's director of Photography Services. "While we've always had a robust photo distribution service, now we can offer our clients all of the photography services they need from start to finish, from direct access to thousands of the world's best assignment photographers to full distribution capabilities to the global media."

Currently, PR Newswire offers its members several premium services that utilize photographs and digital images to enhance the impact of significant news announcements. Chief among PR Newswire's multimedia communications offerings is comprehensive electronic distribution of high-resolution photos through PRNewsFotos™, which utilizes the Associated Press' photo delivery and archival systems and the NewsCom image archive -- all top sources of images among the media -- to supply photos to the media.

Photos delivered by PR Newswire are seen by over 15,000 editors who frequent the image archives, as well as by tens of thousands of consumers who view news releases and accompanying images each day on the thousands of web sites PR Newswire feeds, including major news and information portals. The comprehensive archival and delivery service results in robust downloads, numbering in the thousands every month.

"The benefits of archiving and distributing publication-quality, high-resolution images are huge, versus simply displaying a picture on a web site," Dowler explained. "We have leveraged our volume of photos and logos so it is easy and inexpensive for PR Newswire members to meet the growing media appetite for pictures."

Additionally, all of PR Newswire's members' photos are posted to PR Newswire for Journalists, a media-only website where more than 65,000 registered journalists regularly retrieve news and multimedia content on the companies and industries they cover.

"We are actively educating our members about the importance of photographs," said Dowler. "With the power of AP's award-winning photo journalists behind us, we will be able to bring corporate/PR photography to the next level by providing our members with a valuable tool they can use to create a photograph that not only complements a story, but also tells the story, such as the CEO on a tour of the production facility, consumers using the company product, community events and awards ceremonies. Any story will benefit from a visual depiction."

"With more than 1,500 photographers in our stable, AP Wide World is well equipped to meet the needs of PR Newswire's global client base," remarked James Wood, Director of AP Wide World. "Likewise, PR Newswire offers an excellent partnership opportunity for AP Wide World because both companies believe strongly that photographs greatly enhance the impact of news announcements, corporate events or marketing brochures."

Digital images from PR Newswire members generate more than 5,000 downloads a month by media outlets, frequently resulting in members' photos featured prominently on the section fronts of newspapers across the country, said Dowler. More than 20,000 member images are archived.

About PR Newswire Association LLC

PR Newswire Association LLC (www.prnewswire.com) provides electronic distribution, targeting and measurement services on behalf of some 40,000 customers worldwide who seek to reach the news media, the investment community and the general public with their up-to-the-minute, full-text news developments. Established in 1954, PR Newswire has offices in fourteen countries and routinely sends its customers' news to outlets in 135 countries in 27 languages. Utilizing the latest in communications technology, PR Newswire content is considered a mainstay among news reporters and investors as well as increasing numbers of private individuals. PR Newswire is a subsidiary of United Business Media plc of London.

About AP Wide World Photos

AP Wide World Photos is the commercial photos sales arm of The Associated Press. Founded in 1848 and headquartered in New York, The Associated Press is the world's oldest and largest news gathering organization, providing coverage of news, sports, business, weather, entertainment, political news and technology news in text, audio, video, graphics, photos and newsroom technology to more than 15,000 news outlets worldwide with a daily reach of one billion people around the world. Its multimedia services are distributed by satellite and the Internet to more than 120 nations.

   Contact:
   Rachel Asche, Director, Public Relations, PR Newswire at 212.282.1929 or
   rachel.asche@prnewswire.com

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000306/PRNLOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

SOURCE: PR Newswire Association LLC