Local Newsrooms, Better Service.

At the just-concluded NIRI Annual Conference our focus was “Local Newsrooms, Better Service“. We used this to emphasize that while our competitors use a centralized call-center approach, Business Wire has nearly two dozen full-service bureaus.

But it’s more than that. Behind each newsroom is a staff of seasoned professionals with an unmatched attention to detail. In today’s world I think it’s pretty rare to find so many long-term employees. Does that benefit our customers? Clearly. Our editors get to know our clients and the intricacies of their needs and preferences. Over time, they are able to spot when something isn’t quite right - a misspelling, receiving a draft instead of a final press release, earnings numbers that are out of order or missing characters, a missed email or fax list on an order.

Every day our newsroom pros take hundreds of incoming press releases and process, electronically code, properly format for web and editorial systems, coordinate translations, photos, multimedia, special fax lists, custom requests and more and then ensure the releases go out without error at the exact moment requested. I think it’s amazing, but it’s second nature to them.

I wonder, though, with all of our competitors moving to central call-center approaches are we missing something? I feel strongly that local people and local relationships are the way to go, but do you? What are your thoughts?

By the way, here’s a list of some of our senior editorial/operations folks and their years of service as well as editors with 9+ years at BW. This doesn’t even include the many in sales, billings, tech, web, media relations and other critical departments that have been here as long or longer. Impressive, don’t you think?

ATLANTA:
Laura Kahn, Newsroom Supervisor, 8 years

Yasmine Holmes, Client Services, 12 years

BOSTON:
Greg Kasabian, Newsroom Supervisor, 9 years
Mike Poirier, National Operations Trainer, 10 years

CHARLOTTE:
Penny Sowards, Newsroom Supervisor, 21 years

CHICAGO:
Chelsea Earnhardt, Newsroom Supervisor, 7 years
Yvonne Moy, Senior Editor, 9 years

CLEVELAND:
Jill Williams, Midwest Regional Newsroom Supervisor, 19 years
Dennis Lynch, Assistant Newsroom Supervisor, 11 years

DALLAS:
Lynn Rushlau, Newsroom Supervisor, 9 years
Alex Eno, Senior Editor, 16 years

DENVER:
Dan Murphy, Newsroom Supervisor, 9 years
JoAnne Hirsch, Client Services, 14 years

HOUSTON:
Amber Agan, Newsroom Supervisor, 6 years

LONDON:
Adam Channell, European Regional Newsroom Supervisor, 4 years
Nigel Egan, London Newsroom Supervisor, 4 years

LOS ANGELES:
Teri Johnson, Southern California Regional Newsroom Supervisor, 16 years
April Petross, Newsroom Supervisor, 9 years
James Chong, Newsroom Supervisor, 7 years
Mary Bullock, Assistant Newsroom Supervisor, 10 years
Roger Johnson, Senior Editor, 10 years
Bill Mikulak, Senior Editor, 9 years
Terence Monika, Assistant Newsroom Supervisor, 9 years

MIAMI:
Janet Duncan, Newsroom Supervisor, 18 years
Gillian Adam, Newsroom Supervisor, 17 years
Neil Bardach, Client Services, 11 years
Claudia Perez-Bonilla, Senior Editor, 10 years
Pilar Portela-Webb, Senior Editor, 11 years

MINNEAPOLIS:
Shannon Hysjulien, Newsroom Supervisor, 7 years

NASHVILLE:
Cathy Dunn, VP, National Operations, 21 years
Loree Cannon, Southeast Regional Newsroom Supervisor, 9 years
Adam Click, Newsroom Supervisor, 7 years
Andrew Guinn, Newsroom Supervisor, 6 years
Donnie Rogers, Doc Editor, 19 years

NEWPORT BEACH:
Kasey Greek, Newsroom Supervisor, 3 years
Kathy Tomasino, Client Services, 10 years

NEW YORK:
Mike Maguire, National Editorial Supervisor, 17 years
Karen Ball, Senior Newsroom Supervisor, 8 years
Skip Walsh, Newsroom Supervisor, 10 years
Anthony Coloneri, Newsroom Supervisor, 8 years
Sean Murphy, International Desk Supervisor, 12 years
Scott Goll, EDGAR Desk Supervisor, 12 years
Jeff Abelson, Photo Desk Supervisor, 11 years
Dan Blue, Senior International Desk Editor, 9 years
Frank Brunett, FCS Editor, 9 years
Richie Crippen, Senior Editor, 13 years
Stephanie Graham, Special Services, 11 years
Bob Grochowski, Senior Editor, 12 years
Indra Ramrattan, Special Services, 11 years
Ivette Coston, Senior Client Services Rep., 10 years

PARIS:
Diane Carelli, Newsroom Supervisor, 2 years

PHILADELPHIA:
Steve Faella, Newsroom Supervisor, 9 years

PHOENIX:
Shari Gutter, Southwest Regional Newsroom Supervisor, 17 years

SAN ANTONIO:
Courtney Davila, Newsroom Supervisor, 8 years
Barbie Dunn, Editor, 9 years

SAN FRANCISCO:
Pat Evans, Sr. Vice President, Global Operations, 26 years
Lisa Wenzel, VP, Global Operations, 19 years
Eric Lum, Regional Newsroom Supervisor, 7 years
Lindsay Onodera, Senior Newsroom Supervisor, 4 years
Ingrid Kettunen, Newsroom Supervisor, 17 years
Wanda Glennon, Newsroom Supervisor, 8 years
Marcella Rouse, Newsroom Supervisor, 4 years
Anne Cullen, Assistant Supervisor, 16 years
Chip Dunlap, Editor, 18 years
Jarvis Lee, Editor, 14 years
Kasey Ochs, International Operations Manager, 9 years

SEATTLE:
Debbie Subia, National Editorial Supervisor, 19 years
Colleen Robb, Newsroom Supervisor, 14 years
Aaron Schmidt, Newsroom Supervisor, 9 years
Susan Morris, Senior Editor, 21 years
Kevin Stant, Senior Editor, 19 years

TOKYO:
Atsushi Suzuki, Newsroom Supervisor, 2 years