ALBANY, NY (12/07/2010)(readMedia)-- As the web continues to become a dominant source of news for many American adults, the way news content appears online can impact how well it engages audiences. readMedia, whose software is used by organizations to distribute news to local media and to the web, has upgraded its Newsmaker platform to now prominently display images and embed YouTube videos directly in the body of its clients' news releases.

The new features, launched this week, will allow organizations to include up to three YouTube videos and three file attachments (images, PDFs, presentations or documents) with each news release. In addition, all previous releases issued on the readMedia newswire that included images or attachments will now have those images more prominently featured within the body of the news story.

"Adding multimedia to a news release makes it so much more engaging, for reporters and for online audiences alike," said Colin Mathews, readMedia's CEO. "And with the proliferation of online video as a way to supplement a news story, having YouTube videos that play right from the body of a news release gives our clients another tool to add context to their stories."

Clients have already begun taking advantage of the new feature, with SUNY Potsdam issuing a news story about jazz students performing with Wynton Marsalis. The college included photos and an embedded video in the release, which included interviews of the student performers.

Reporters and media outlets who receive news releases via readMedia's service will still receive the full-text of each release, with links to attachments or to YouTube videos and a link to view the online version of the release.

"We're constantly looking for ways to improve our service and add value to our customers at readMedia," said Mathews. "Making their news more attractive and more accessible online is key to helping them communicate important news to their stakeholders more effectively."

This is the second major upgrade for readMedia's Newsmaker platform this year. In February, the company launched a web stats feature that helps clients track distribution and online traffic to press releases.

The new multimedia embeds feature is included as a free upgrade to all readMedia customers.

About readMedia

readMedia's software platform enables organizations to publish their important local news to the media, local audiences, social media and the web quickly and easily. State and local government agencies, colleges and universities, non-profits and local businesses nationwide use readMedia's Newsmaker and Hometown Newsmaker applications to connect their news with relevant audiences. News organizations and online media can discover and syndicate hundreds of thousands of high quality, hyperlocal news stories published by readMedia annually in every zip code in the U.S.

readMedia is based in New York and is backed by investors that include Joe Mansueto, founder and CEO of Morningstar, and David Hosokawa, former CEO and vice chairman of Monster.com. Learn more at readMedia.com

Posted Tuesday December 07, 2010 at 10:40 am by readMedia, Inc.
Last Updated Thursday January 27, 2011 at 01:49 pm