Business Wire’s Free Webinars Offer How-To Tips for Press Releases

Seems folks just can’t get enough of Business Wire’s monthly webinars. As the social media vanguard embraces Twitter and pushes blogging into the mainstream, I remind myself and new media colleagues that a multitude of the clueless STILL seek basic understanding of the “new rules” for press releases.

Our clients and other issuers of press releases are busy people, with intense competition for their time and attention. Press releases are a small-but-important part of their universe. It’s no wonder, then, that a large percentage of corporate communicators need remedial help in understanding the new tools, technologies and best practices for today’s press release.

As always, we’re here to help. We don’t pretend to be objective since press releases are the very core of our business. We do, however, promise enlightenment and free learning during our weekly webinar sessions, which cover everything from how to optimize your press release for search to a step-by-step lesson on how-to Digg your press releases–and if you even should.

This FREE education is easy-to-access and awaiting your registration. Here’s the schedule:

Wednesday, June 4: Your text needs a partner: Using Multimedia to Drive Press Release Results

Tuesday, June 10: Be an SEO Hero–Optimize Your Press Release for Search

Wednesday, June 18: EON: Enhanced Online News

Friday, June 27, Lost in MySpace?

We hope you’ll join us.

SEC Releases Rule Proposal on the use of Interactive Data (XBRL)

Here’s an item from Business Wire’s Michael Becker, VP of Global Disclosure & Reporting Services:

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed that issuers provide corporate financial statement information to the Commission in interactive data (XBRL) format.

If adopted, the first interactive data provided under the new rules would be made public in early 2009. The remaining companies using U.S. GAAP would provide this disclosure over the following two years. Companies using International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board would provide this disclosure for fiscal periods ending in late 2010.

Additional proposed items:

• In the initial year of a company’s filing, they would be required to provide single identifiers (tags) for each footnote and schedule but starting in year two of XBRL submission, the company would be required to provide more detailed identifiers for elements within the footnotes themselves.
• XBRL documents would be submitted in addition to the official ASCII or HTML filing and then filed at the same time. The only exception to this rule is that the first time a company submits in XBRL format and the first time they provide detailed tagging of the footnotes, the company would be allowed a 30 day grace period after the traditional filing during which they could submit the XBRL documents.
• Companies also would be required to post this information on their websites.

Business Wire is the only newswire service with in-house XBRL expertise and is prepared to help your company transition to XBRL reporting quickly and easily. Our EarningsDirect service is a simple, non-technical method for tagging EDGAR filings and earnings news releases in XBRL format.

The process couldn’t be easier; we convert the data to XBRL for you. Analysts, investors and the financial media receive your financials in XBRL format with a special PDF file, the Interactive Financial Statement (IFS). The IFS allows users to quickly understand, via detailed TagTips, how your financials have been tagged in XBRL. The IFS also contains the raw XBRL required for market participants to analyze the data in real time.

• Here are the Business Wire and CoreFiling news releases related to the announcement.
• Learn more about our XBRL joint venture, CoreFiling.
• To learn more about XBRL, contact Business Wire’s Michael Becker.

China Earthquake Relief & Myanmar Cyclone Relief links

If you would like to contribute to the relief efforts for the earthquake in China and/or the Myanmar cyclone, we’ve listed a few links below. Every bit helps.

China Earthquake Relief links:

• Red Cross
• MercyCorps

Myanmar Cyclone Relief links:

• Red Cross
• Unicef or Direct Relief International (via Google)
• Americares, Doctors without Borders & others (via NY Times The Lede Blog)

Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders Meeting Trading Cards Still Available for Charity

Just back from Omaha and the Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders Meeting. It was Business Wire’s third meeting as a Berkshire Hathaway company and each year seems to get better and better.

In addition to getting to talk with so many Berkshire shareholders, this year we created a set of limited edition trading cards that we sold to raise money for a very important charity, CASA of Douglas County, Nebraska, an organization that provides a voice for abused and neglected children within the court system.

The cards (six different ones) feature photos of Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger and BW’s Cathy Baron Tamraz, along with quotes from each. We’re proud to say that so far we’ve raised $5,000 for the cause. We do have a few more sets available that you can order if you weren’t able to get to Omaha.

To order your set, please send a $10 check for each set to Business Wire (it’s fully tax-deductible – we’ll send you a receipt) with a self-addressed stamped return envelope to:

Business Wire

c/o Trading Cards for CASA

4100 Newport Place, Suite 530

Newport Beach, CA 92660

(Add: Business Wire CEO Cathy Baron Tamraz was interviewed on Fox Business News this morning talking about the cards, A-Rod and CASA)