Bacon's Cuts through the Blog-Clutter; New Service Mines the Blogosphere for Relevant Content

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 22, 2004--Bacon's Information, the leader in identifying, compiling, monitoring and evaluating media content, will now monitor the most reputable online news blogs.

Blogs, which is a short term for Web Logs, are Internet sites containing reflections and comments published by individuals or groups. A blog's content is often posted periodically on the Web in a journal or "log" format.

“The news cycle for a story sometimes originates from a blog and can on occasion find its way into the mainstream media”

The company will introduce new blog content in MediaSource's(TM) Premium Research module and track blog coverage in the Monitoring module to help clients determine the possible impact on business decisions and company reputations. Blogs have played an increasingly important role in influencing opinion of select audiences, including opinion about candidates in last November's local, state and presidential elections.

"The news cycle for a story sometimes originates from a blog and can on occasion find its way into the mainstream media," says Ruth McFarland, Senior Vice President and Publisher for Bacon's.

"With today's information overload from often irrelevant or dubious sources, our aim is to help our clients by filtering the communications clutter. Bacon's will therefore focus on blogs run by reputable, credible professionals. Initially, these will be blogs of active journalists, but as our in-house researchers scrutinize and approve additional news-related blogs, we will add to the scope of our coverage," says McFarland.

Bacon's will inaugurate its coverage of blogs in January 2005. The identification of the blogs, the messages they contain and the frequency with which client-relevant information shows up on the blogs will be found in Bacon's MediaSource(TM). This comprehensive media management system makes information about journalists available online. MediaSource(TM) allows public relations professionals to efficiently execute every aspect of the media relations function; including media contact management, press material distribution, campaign monitoring and evaluation.

Bacon's helps communications, marketing and PR professionals maximize results in media relations. Bacon's is the first provider of integrated service solutions designed to give clients the ability to target their messages efficiently, customize distribution of information and monitor and evaluate all media to determine if PR objectives have been met.

Observer AB (listed on the O-list (Attract 40) of Stockholmsborsen, Sweden) is a global industry leader in business and communication intelligence. The firm provides media and market monitoring, analysis and communication evaluation as well as target group identification and distribution of information for PR and IR purposes. Observer AB has annual earnings of nearly SEK 1,5 billion, and has 2,500 employees in the United States, United Kingdom, Sweden, Canada, Germany, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Portugal, Ireland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.