PR Newswire Leads Investor 'Call to Arms' in Support of Proven, Equitable, Ubiquitous Disclosure

NEW YORK, Nov. 10, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- PR Newswire, the global leader in innovative communications and marketing services, has issued a "call to arms" to public companies and the investor community championing a re-dedication to the true spirit of disclosure that focuses on full, broad and simultaneous disclosure that provides a level playing field for all investors.  

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Scott Mozarsky, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, PR Newswire stated, "As we celebrate the tenth anniversary of Regulation FD, in its position as the leading provider of disclosure solutions globally, PR Newswire is working with its public company clients on integrated disclosure strategies that ensure the broadest and deepest engagement with shareholders, journalists and investors rather than 'communications short cuts' focused on narrow disclosure tactics that limit public access to information."  

Consistent with the focus of the recent New York Times article, A Lack of Transparency in S.E.C. Disclosure Rule, PR Newswire is leading the charge to ensure that transparency and equitable access to market-moving company news continues to be available for retail and institutional investors alike. PR Newswire recognizes the crucial role that company websites can play in providing a complete view of a company's financial picture. The Company has issued several posts on its blog in an effort to further the discussion about the role news releases and company websites should play in communicating important financial information to the investor community.

Mozarsky continued, "In the interests of attaining full and fair disclosure, the clear direction is towards broader and more inclusive dissemination. As the Times article correctly points out, so-called 'notice and access' web disclosure may result in uneven access to information, 'potentially giving some savvy investors an edge while potentially putting the rest of us at a disadvantage.' The SEC has suggested a corporate website could be a point of disclosure if it constitutes a 'recognized channel of distribution.'"  

However, most companies recognize that corporate websites alone cannot provide the same breadth and depth of distribution as an integrated disclosure strategy.  Therefore, the overwhelming majority continue to fulfill their disclosure requirements by relying on the broad, even and immediate dissemination of all relevant information in a news release, which complements and enhances a company's engagement efforts through its corporate website.

Mozarsky concluded, "The true spirit of disclosure encourages all companies to provide enhanced and full access to all investors, not just the privileged few.  Conversely, 'web disclosure' puts retail investors, the media and the general public at a distinct disadvantage in that it makes people have to chase information instead of having it delivered to them directly and immediately. True transparency is achieved through comprehensive, timely, and ubiquitous dissemination of information, and the only proven way to provide the market with such accessibility is via integrated disclosure, disseminating full and complete information through news releases while also leveraging the corporate website.  There is no substitute."

About PR Newswire

PR Newswire (www.prnewswire.com) is the premier global provider of multimedia platforms that enable marketers, corporate communicators, sustainability officers, public affairs and investor relations officers to leverage content to engage with all their key audiences. Having pioneered the commercial news distribution industry 56 years ago, PR Newswire today provides end-to-end solutions to produce, optimize and target content – from rich media to online video to multimedia – and then distribute content and measure results across traditional, digital, mobile and social channels. Combining the world's largest multi-channel, multi-cultural content distribution and optimization network with comprehensive workflow tools and platforms, PR Newswire enables the world's enterprises to engage opportunity everywhere it exists. PR Newswire serves tens of thousands of clients from offices in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region, and is a United Business Media company.

Media Contacts:

Rachel Meranus, Vice President, Marketing and Communications, PR Newswire at +1.201.360.6776 or [email protected]

SOURCE PR Newswire Association LLC