Video: PR Newswire Creates Social Network for CSR Experts
Industry-leading ProfNet service to become interactive forum on Corporate Social Responsibility issues
PRNewswire
NEW YORK

PR Newswire's industry-leading ProfNet expert network, in partnership with CSRwire.com -- The Corporate Social Responsibility Newswire, is poised to become the foremost social network for authorities in corporate social responsibility (CSR) issues to congregate and share their expertise amongst peers and with the media.

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PR Newswire has developed a new CSR channel within ProfNet, where experts in diversity, philanthropy, socially responsible investing, environment, human rights, workplace issues, business ethics, community development and corporate governance, can connect directly with journalists who are working on relevant stories, in addition to interacting and sharing ideas and information with each other.

"CSR programs are becoming more and more of a driving force behind many business initiatives," said Juliet Herman, director of ProfNet, PR Newswire. "Those in charge of these initiatives within organizations need a forum to share best practices and to engage with environmental, social, or other subject-matter experts. ProfNet was created over a decade ago as a forum for connecting communications professionals, experts and the media, and was really one of the first truly social networks of its kind. It is therefore perfectly suited to become the platform for a CSR community network."

Through a successful partnership with CSRwire, the leading distributor of corporate social responsibility and sustainability news, reports and information, PR Newswire has been delivering its members' news directly to influential audiences such as investors, journalists, analysts, academics, activists, influencers at CSR organizations, socially responsible investment houses, NGOs, educational institutions and government bodies within the CSR community since October 2007. The addition of CSR experts into the ProfNet network is a natural extension of this partnership.

"Although CSR is a growing trend among smart businesses, it is still a relatively new practice and as with anything new it is always beneficial to collaborate and share best practices with peers," said Greg Schneider, chief operating officer of CSRwire. "ProfNet has connected leading academic, business and non-profit experts with the media successfully for more than a decade and it is precisely what the CSR community needs to elevate these increasingly important issues. We are excited to be able to leverage ProfNet's proven capabilities into the CSR community that we work with so closely and so passionately."

Effective immediately, ProfNet is now transmitting daily media opportunities on CSR-related topics to the tens of thousands of communications professionals representing ProfNet experts. In addition, CSR experts that are paying members of ProfNet can create profiles within the ProfNet database for access by media and other experts. Subscribers to ProfNet search the database using keywords such as environment, green business, and sustainability to find these profiles and connect with experts directly.

About ProfNet

ProfNet (www.profnet.com) is an online community of academics, government officials, business people, non-profit executives, and other subject matter experts. Through ProfNet, journalists, and many non-media professionals such as meeting planners, bloggers, corporate researchers, publishers, analysts, and authors can connect with these experts for story sources, speaking events, to keep up on trends and initiate relationships.

ProfNet Opportunities (formerly ProfNet Queries) enables reporters to send short descriptions of the stories and the type of experts they are seeking to the tens of thousands of experts in the ProfNet database. ProfNet Opportunities are available in 13 categories with the recent addition of Corporate Social Responsibility. In January, ProfNet distributed 3,010 ProfNet Opportunities, the most in its 15-year history.

Reporters can also sign up to receive, via email, Expert Alerts, short story ideas summarizing an expert's perspective on a timely issue or trends, and Daily Topic Alerts, a round-up of experts on a particular timely issue or trend culled from the Expert Alerts. Currently, the ProfNet expert database has more than 25,000 experts profiles.

About PR Newswire

PR Newswire Association LLC (www.prnewswire.com) provides electronic distribution, targeting, measurement and broadcast services on behalf of tens of thousands of corporate, government, association, labor, non-profit, and other customers worldwide. Using PR Newswire, these organizations reach a variety of critical audiences including the news media, the investment community, government decision-makers, and the general public with their up-to-the-minute, full-text news developments.

Established in 1954, PR Newswire has offices in 14 countries and routinely sends its customers' news to outlets in 135 countries and in more than 40 languages. Utilizing the latest in communications technology, PR Newswire content is considered a mainstay among news reporters, investors and individuals who seek breaking news from the source. PR Newswire's leading services include ProfNet(SM), eWatch™, MEDIAtlas™, Search Engine Optimization, MediaRoom, MediaSense™, MultiVu™, U.S. Newswire, the preeminent policy newswire in the industry, Vintage Filings, the fastest growing Edgar filing company, and Hispanic PR Wire, LatinClips and Hispanic Digital Network, the foremost Hispanic communications services. PR Newswire is a subsidiary of United Business Media plc of London.

About CSRwire LLC

CSRwire is the leading source of corporate social responsibility and sustainability news, reports and information. CSRwire members are companies and NGOs, agencies and organizations interested in communicating their corporate citizenship, sustainability, and socially responsible initiatives to a global audience through CSRwire's syndication network and News Alerts. CSRwire content covers issues of Diversity, Philanthropy, Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) Environment, Human Rights, Workplace Issues, Business Ethics, Community Development and Corporate Governance. CSRwire is a member of the United Nations Global Compact -- The world's largest global corporate citizenship initiative.

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SOURCE: PR Newswire Association LLC

CONTACT: Rachel Meranus, Vice President, Public Relations of PR
Newswire, +1-201-360-6776, rachel.meranus@prnewswire.com