"Help a Reporter Out" spreads virally, grows exponentially

Peter Shankman’s free service that connects journalists with credible sources grew from 3,000 members to nearly 40,000 in just one year

November marked one year since PR executive Peter Shankman launched his free “Help a Reporter Out” (HARO) service. What a year it’s been for something that started out as a simple favor for Shankman’s friends and contacts in the media who were looking to connect quickly and easily with a wide array of sources.

When Ragan.com first checked in on HARO last April, Shankman, who also is the CEO for New York PR firm The Geek Factory, had recently moved the service from its Facebook page, which could no longer handle the e-mail traffic, to its new home at www.helpareporter.com. His distribution list grew to 3,000 people and he was sending out HARO e-mails once or twice a day.