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FAQs: ProfNet Reporters

Q) How do I register for ProfNet as a journalist/blogger?
A) To register for ProfNet as a journalist/blogger, go to https://profnet.prnewswire.com/PRNJ.aspx and click on “Register Here,” which will take you to the PR Newswire for Journalists registration system where you’ll be asked to fill out a short registration form. Registrations can take up to 30 minutes to become active. Once your registration is active, you will be able to log on to the ProfNet site at https://profnet.prnewswire.com/PRNJ.aspx and submit a query.
 
Q) I’m registered for ProfNet, but I can’t seem to log in. What do I do now?
A) Because registrations can take up to 30 minutes to become active, you may not be able to log in right away upon registering. If you are still unable to log in, after 30 minutes, please drop us a note at profnet@profnet.com and we’ll investigate the issue. If you need to send a query out right away, you may e-mail it to us and we’ll input it for you. Please put “Query” in the subject line when e-mailing us a query.
 
Q) How much does ProfNet cost for reporters?
A) ProfNet is free for reporters.
 
Q) How do I send out a ProfNet query?
A) To send a ProfNet query, go to https://profnet.prnewswire.com/PRNJ.aspx and log in. The query form will automatically load in the middle of the page. You may also click on “Submit Opportunity” or use our simplified query form at: http://www.budurl.com/profnetquery -- we'll take care of the rest. 
 
Q) I filled out the ProfNet query form. How do I know it went through?
A) Once a ProfNet query is submitted successfully, you’ll see a confirmation page on your screen. If you don’t see that, drop us a note at profnet@profnet.com and we’ll check to see if we received it.
 
Q) I sent out a ProfNet query and received a great response, but would like more. Can I resend it?
A) You may resend any ProfNet query up to three times. To resend a query, log on to the site and click on “Inbox,” then on the query subject. Once the query is open, click on “Resend Opportunity.” You will have the option of changing any of your original query preferences, such as deadline, regions and institution types. You may also edit the text of the query as necessary. Once you’re done editing, click on “Submit.”
 
Q) I’m a freelancer. What should I put in the News Outlet field for a ProfNet query?
A) In the News Outlet field, you should list the publication/program/etc. for which you’re requesting experts. If you would like us to leave the publication/program/etc. name off the query, you may “cloak” your request.
 
Q) What does the term “cloaking” mean within ProfNet?
A) For “cloaked” queries, we omit the publication name from the query. Instead, we only provide a generic description of the publication (e.g., national women’s magazine, Northeast daily, regional business journal).  If you are a freelancer, we do still include your name and e-mail address in the query. The only information we cloak is the publication name. If you are on staff and your e-mail address identifies the publication/news outlet, we will withhold your name and e-mail address. When members respond to your query, they will do so via the ProfNet Web site.
 
Q) I’d rather just e-mail my ProfNet queries to you. May I do that?
A) Absolutely. If you'd rather submit ProfNet queries via e-mail, send them to profnet@profnet.com with "Query" in the subject line so we don’t mistake it as spam. You may also use our simplified query form at: http://www.budurl.com/profnetquery.
 
Q) How can I search the ProfNet Experts Database?
A) To search the ProfNet Experts Database, log on to the site - https://profnet.prnewswire.com/PRNJ.aspx -, and click on “Search Expert” in the dark blue section along the top of the page. You will be able to search the database by keyword(s) and location.
 
Q) My ProfNet registration information is outdated. How can I update it?
A) To update your ProfNet registration information, simply e-mail your info to profnet@profnet.com. Please note: It may take up to 30 minutes for the changes to take effect.
 
Q) As a journalist, I often write product reviews. May I submit a request for products through ProfNet?
A) If you are on staff at your publication, you may submit requests through ProfNet for products for review. If you are a freelancer, we will ask you to provide documentation confirming your assignment. (Usually, we ask to confirm it with your editor, but alternate forms may be acceptable.)
 
Q) What are ProfNet Expert & Topic Alerts?
A) ProfNet Expert Alerts are sort of a “reverse query” — instead of a reporter asking for an expert, a PR person will compile a few sentences “alerting” reporters to an expert who is available to discuss a timely topic.
 
Example:
LAW: New Patent Rules Equal New Strategies for Lawyers, Companies.
Jim Murphy, intellectual property attorney with Thompson & Knight: “New rules designed to make the government’s patent examination process more efficient likely will force significant change in the way some companies and attorneys manage the process. The rules essentially place limits on the number of continuations that can be filed and on the number of claims that can be made for each application without penalty. It will make it much more expensive and more difficult to justify stringing cases along as a protective or competitive strategy, requiring firms to make a more precise initial set of claims.” Murphy cautions that it may take at least a year to assess the full impact of the new rules, which go into effect Nov. 1. Contact: …  Sometimes, ProfNet editors will put together a Topic Alert, which includes various experts on the same topic. Examples of recent Topic Alerts: “Pirate Attacks,” “Earth Day,” Legalizing Marijuana,” “Stem Cell Research.”
 
Alerts are sent to reporters according to the following feed schedule*:
 
Mondays: Business & Technology
Tuesdays: Education & Science
Wednesdays: Government & Law
Thursdays: Health & Medicine
Fridays: Entertainment & Living
* Subject to change, depending on volume and breaking news.

Alerts are distributed to reporters by e-mail, posted on PR Newswire for Journalists and sent to more than 5,000 news organizations via PR Newswire’s US1 newsline.

To receive Expert & Topic Alerts in any of the above feeds, e-mail your contact information to profnetalerts@prnewswire.com. Please make sure to indicate which feed(s) you want to receive.
 
Q) Are ProfNet members vetted?
A) All ProfNet members must also be members of PR Newswire, which verifies that members are legitimate businesses.

In addition, all ProfNet members must sign our Terms & Conditions, which state:

1) ProfNet Opportunities (queries) are not to be used as stepping-off points for pitches that have no relevance to the request.
2) Contact with reporters submitting Opportunities is to be made only via the channels specified by the reporter in the request.
3) ProfNet Opportunities are to be treated as confidential, disclosed to others in your organization only on a need-to-know basis.
4) Opportunities are never to be posted to an electronic mailing list or shared with others on a public site.
5) ProfNet members shall in no way attempt to badger or coerce a reporter into contacting or quoting a given source.
6) E-mail addresses obtained through ProfNet are not to be used in any list for unsolicited, mass-distributed messages.
7) All Opportunities are to be viewed as exclusive to the writer or organization submitting the request.
8) ProfNet Opportunities are not to be used to advance personal interests or agendas, except in cases where reporters explicitly request responses that are personal in nature.

Also, ProfNet members may edit their query preferences to receive queries in specific categories and subcategories (e.g., a member can sign up to receive only technology requests). This means that members are less likely to receive -- and reply to -- queries that are not in their experts' specific areas of interest, and you are less likely to receive off-topic replies.

Q) What do I do if a ProfNet member violates one of the rules listed above?
A) If one of our ProfNet members sends you a response that violates our Terms & Conditions, please alert us at profnet@profnet.com and we will investigate.