Oncor Launches Online News Outlet, 'The Wire'

DALLAS, Jan. 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- As a company of 3,500 employees with millions of customers across Texas, Oncor is far-reaching, essential and full of dynamic stories. It is with these stories in mind that our company is launching its own news website, The Wire. The site will offer news and features about Oncor's initiatives and inner workings, the people it employs and serves and the industry in which it operates.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120402/DA80968LOGO)

The Wire will be an outlet for all who are interested in the company, the energy industry and the people, policies and procedures that keep the lights on in Texas. Its collection of news, features and photo and video content will be updated daily and can be accessed at TheWire.oncor.com or by clicking the "News & Events" tab at Oncor.com.

"We feel that we can offer a broad range of stories where readers will find something that interests them each and every day that they come and visit," Oncor Senior Director of Communications Chris Schein said.

Add The Wire to your bookmarked websites, sign up for the story feeds and newsletters, and fold it into your daily news consumption. The Wire promises great stories, all thoughtfully crafted to inform and entertain a broad audience, from the everyday electricity consumer to the engineering expert.

The Wire will replace Oncor's online "News" section, where press releases are currently listed. Oncor will still use press releases for specific reasons, like announcing an earnings conference call for investors and news media. Now, Oncor's team of writers will craft articles about company news, industry trends and features. Media outlets, just like all visitors to The Wire, can subscribe to RSS feeds for The Wire or any of its seven categories for breaking news or sign up for monthly emails that compile news from the site.

"This is a place for storytelling and for giving opinions about industry trends. It's not just a place for news releases with corporate news and event announcements," said Megan Wright, the Oncor Communications Specialist who is spearheading the project with Schein.

The Wire, with a sleek design built for use across all platforms, will be populated with stories in seven categories: technology, environment, Live Well (Oncor's health initiative), community, safety, corporate (which will include financial and investor news) and Power My Life (blog posts written by Oncor employees and special contributors). Content will be created by both the communications department and freelance writers and will include commentary from industry experts including those within Oncor.

In January, readers will find stories that explore the future of electricity where batteries eliminate outages, how to lower electric bills in extreme winter weather and the Oncor environment team's all-terrain "walk the line" efforts to ensure that line construction accommodates nature and wildlife.

The Wire is part of an emerging communications trend called "brand journalism," where corporations establish themselves as outlets for articles relevant to their company and industry. With people increasingly receiving their news through social media, stories from sites like The Wire are read and shared like any other online articles instead of only being filtered to readers through traditional media.

"This is a growing trend, which shows that news consumers are changing the way they absorb their news," Schein said.

When content is compelling, stories are posted, reposted and widely read. This is one of many reasons why The Wire prides itself on essential information and great stories. If you're interested in contributing to The Wire or if you have a story idea, contact Megan Wright, [email protected]. 

Enjoy reading The Wire, and we hope you'll visit often.

Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC ("Oncor") is a regulated electricity distribution and transmission business that uses superior asset management skills to provide reliable electricity delivery to consumers. Oncor operates the largest distribution and transmission system in Texas, delivering power to more than 3.2 million homes and businesses and operating approximately 119,000 miles of transmission and distribution lines in Texas. While Oncor is owned by a limited number of investors (including majority owner, Energy Future Holdings Corp.), Oncor is managed by its Board of Directors, which is comprised of a majority of independent directors.

SOURCE Oncor