Help A Reporter Out (HARO) Releases 2009 Growth Figures

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - August 18, 2009) - Proving that good deeds can be both rewarding
and lucrative, Help A Reporter Out (HARO) today revealed significant growth
figures since their 2008 launch.

HARO is a widely-used social media service that enables journalists to
connect with the right source, and grants everyone -- from home-based
entrepreneurs to large businesses -- access to reporters who may write
about them. Entirely free to reporters and sources, HARO is supported by a
simple, but powerful advertising business model where small and mid-sized
companies promote their brands, products and services through simple,
text-based ads at the top of each HARO.

"What a difference a year makes," said Peter Shankman, Founder and CEO of
HARO. "What started 21 months ago as a Facebook Groups Page and good karma
experiment has turned into what is now a fast growing and profitable social
media company. HARO is a classic case of a company doing well by doing
good. I see HARO differently today than I did when I founded the company.
Over a year ago, we matched reporters and sources. Today, we're powering a
PR, marketing and sales eco-system for the engine of our economy -- small
and mid-sized businesses."

HARO's Growth Figures Include:
Aug-08 Aug-09
Journalists Subscribed with HARO 1,500 30,000
Sources Subscribed with HARO 20,000 80,000
Monthly Journalist Queries on HARO 650 3,000

The number of advertisers for HARO's free-for-subscribers service
skyrocketed 3900% from August 2008 to August 2009. The HARO staff rose 400
percent in the past year. Revenues over the past year have leaped from
$15,000 as of August 2008 to just over $1MM as of August 2009 with
advertising inventory on HARO already sold out for 2009.

HARO's initial expansion included a break-out email offering gift bag
opportunities for public relations professionals (gift bag opportunities
were originally included in the main HARO notice.) Future expansion will
include additional break-outs with specific HARO notices for specific
industry verticals.

"In one of the most troubled economic times in half a century HARO is
seeing significant growth," commented Thom Brodeur, COO of HARO. "HARO has
helped thousands of small businesses around the world grow their brands,
promote themselves and sell their products. In the coming six to twelve
months; you will see even more innovation, powerful strategic partnerships
and new services from HARO to support the reporters, sources and small
businesses we connect every day."

HARO's simple and effective harnessing of social networking improves the
process by which Journalists find the best sources for their story and
small businesses drive their own growth. To register as a source or a
journalist, visit www.HelpAReporter.com.

About HARO

Founded in 2008 by serial entrepreneur Peter Shankman, Help A Reporter Out
(HARO) is one of the fastest-growing social media companies in North
America. Every day, HARO brings nearly 30,000 bloggers, reporters and
journalists, over 80,000 news sources and thousands of small businesses
together to tell their stories, promote their brands and sell their
products and services. Since its inception, HARO has published more than
60,000 journalist queries; has facilitated nearly 7,000,000 media pitches,
and has marketed and promoted over 2,500 brands to the media, small
businesses and consumers. HARO is entirely free to sources and journalists
and unlike a majority of social media companies, is independently owned and
funded and has been profitable since day one. For more,
www.helpareporter.com.