1 What is SOURCES?
SOURCES is a media service that connects journalists, editors, authors and researchers with the sources they need for their work. It starts with the Sources directory, which spotlights organizations, institutions, government agencies, companies, and individuals who want to share their expertise and points of view with the media. The SOURCES directory is used by thousands of reporters and researchers who need to find quotable sources and reliable information for their news stories or research.

2 Who benefits from being in SOURCES?
Any organization or individual who has knowledge to share or informed comment to offer on topics that are – or should be – in the news. Companies and organizations listed in SOURCES get more calls from the news media and, as a result, more media coverage.

3 Why is media coverage valuable?
If your organization exists to advocate for a cause or a group, getting media coverage is crucial to getting your message out to the public, to government decision makers, to potential members and funders. For businesses, media coverage is the best and most effective form of marketing. For individuals pursuing careers as public speakers, consultants, or authors, media attention is a career-boosting benefit.

4 Why is media coverage the best kind of publicity there is?
Media coverage is the most valuable kind of publicity there is because it is earned publicity. It is based on the news value or information value of what you do or say, and is therefore far more credible than paid publicity like advertising.

5 How does SOURCES work?
The SOURCES directory is based on an Intelligent Search system utilizing a powerful cross-referenced database of subject headings. Each subject heading points journalists and researchers to the experts, spokespersons, and organizations best able to provide informed comment on that topic. When you are in SOURCES, you ensure that they will find you when they are doing a story on your field. The Intelligent Search system is designed to ensure that searchers find your SOURCES profile when they do a Google search on your key topics even if they haven’t used Sources.com as the starting point for their search.

6 What will our SOURCES profile include?
Your SOURCES media profile is customized to give journalists exactly what they need, including:
• A concise 50-word description of your organization or yourself telling them who you are and what you do.
• The names and numbers of up to 15 of your media contact persons, along with their titles, phone and fax numbers, E-mail addresses, etc. Providing an after-hours number helps journalists working on deadline in different time zones to reach you.

7 What options can we choose to further enhance our SOURCES profile?
• More than 80% of SOURCES members publish their logos or photos with their listing.
• A French paragraph tells the French-language media you can take their calls.
• A direct link from your SOURCES listing to your organization’s own Web site is an excellent search engine optimization tactic.
• Including video or audio clips in your listing showcases your qualities as an expert and as a speaker.

8 How else will our SOURCES membership help us gain publicity?
• A free Web Calendar that makes it easier to draw events to journalists’ attention.
• Free news release postings on the SOURCES website. Releases are seen by reporters using SOURCES and are comprehensively indexed by Google and other search engines.

9 Is SOURCES cost-effective?
Very much so. Putting your profile in SOURCES for a full year can cost you less than sending out a single media release through a wire service.

10 What does it cost to be included in SOURCES?
You can include your profile in SOURCES for as little as $349 a year. Membership is on a sliding scale based on the size of your organization. There are modest additional charges for certain optional extras like including video clips in your profile. See the Quick Listing Form for details.

11 Can we update our SOURCES profile?
Certainly. Anytime. Your changes will be made immediately on SOURCES.COM and in the next print edition when it goes to press.

12 Who else uses SOURCES to get media coverage?
Have a look. If you search the SOURCES website at www.sources.com, or if you look through the print version of the SOURCES directory, you will see the media profiles of hundreds of institutions, businesses and organizations, large and small, as well as many individuals. Look at who they are. They are members of SOURCES because it works for them. If SOURCES works for them, shouldn’t you be in SOURCES too? Among those listed, you will also see a noticeable number of public relations and marketing experts. One of the strongest testimonials to how well SOURCES works is that the media experts themselves pay to be included in SOURCES.

13 Where does our SOURCES profile appear?
SOURCES is multi media. Your full profile and contact information appear in the print editions of Sources, sent to thousands journalists every Summer and Winter, as well as on SOURCES SELECT Online, the electronic version of Sources instantly accessible to journalists on the Internet.

14 How do we get SOURCES working for us?
We’d be happy to help you design your SOURCES listing to have the greatest possible impact. Call us at 1-800-299-7990 (toll-free) or 416-964-7799 and we’ll be happy to help and answer your questions. You’ll also find additional information and user testimonials on the SOURCES website at www.sources.com/Profile.htm . If you’re ready to submit your profile now, simply use the Quick Listing Form on the SOURCES website at www.sources.com/QuickListing.pdf and fax it to 416-964-8763, or submit your information by E-mail to listings [at] sources.com.