While the general public may not haven given it a second glance, the news of Vocus acquiring Help A Reporter Out caused (or should have caused) anyone in the PR, journalism or media industries to sit up and take notice.
The reason this is so newsworthy is that the two services have always had a similar goal, but with polar opposite means of achieving them.
Vocus, the traditional media list builder used by many PR professionals (including myself), and Help A Reporter Out (HARO), the grassroots-style service that started as a Facebook group to connect reporters with sources directly.
The two services are at odds because HARO's process circumvents the need for using PR to gain media attention.
So on the surface, this may look like Vocus getting rid of a competitor, but that's actually far from the truth. Vocus has already stated that they don't plan to change or start charging for HARO, nor did they go into any details about future integration between the two.
So what does this acquisition mean?
It means that even those in the traditional PR sphere are looking to social media as a viable influencer, and recognizing the problems of outdated media lists and ignoring individuals such as sources and journalists that HARO has been focusing on.
As someone who has had a love-hate relationship with Vocus, I hope that this acquisition leads to a middle ground that combines the best qualities of both services.
