Here is an explanation of some of the changes we'll be making to AlertNet that may affect your membership. AlertNet's popularity is rising fast and we're about to start building up a new community of journalists interested in humanitarian affairs who will be looking to AlertNet for a comprehensive range of humanitarian information. As we've reflected on where we're going and the strengths and weaknesses of AlertNet we've decided that we'd like to focus our efforts on helping those members who are able and willing to contribute something back to the service.
Accordingly, over the coming months we'll be classifying members according to how well they meet their commitment to share information over AlertNet. Premium membership benefits such as free Reuters pictures will in future only be made available to those organisations that meet a limited number of requirements.
We'll be implementing this programme gradually, and we will NOT downgrade your membership before contacting someone from your organisation's communications department.
Once we contact you, you will have three months in which to demonstrate that you are committed to sharing your information with the AlertNet community, either by creating an automated feed of your news to our site or by publishing your news and information manually on a regular basis. We will also be asking you to link to AlertNet from your own site and to work with us to keep details of where you are active and who your media relations contacts are up to date.
If, for any reason, your organisation fails to do this then we will reclassify you a 'standard' member and you will lose some of the benefits of your current AlertNet membership (see the table below).
Criteria for platinum membership:
| Member benefits: | 'Platinum' members | 'Standard' members |
| Free Reuters pictures for use in emergency appeals and publications | YES | - |
| Access to AIDfund grants for sudden onset disasters | YES | - |
| Access to English language newspaper coverage of humanitarian emergencies (relevant news from Factiva's 200 English-language national newspaper sources) | YES | - |
| Publishing rights (the ability to publish on AlertNet to increase your organisation's visibility) | YES | YES |
| Advanced news alerting (the ability to request e-mail alerts on very specific areas and themes)* | YES | YES |
| Access to media metrics (measuring the number of times your organisation has been mentioned in over 120 English language media sources)** | YES | YES |
* Advanced alerting is likely to be extended to SMS alerts for extremely serious events later this year and this service will only be available to emergencies and communications officers working for Platinum Members.
** Media Metrics will launch within the next few months and, subject to demand, we plan to make available an international press clippings services for communications officers within Platinum Members that monitors mentions in the mainstream media.
We hope you understand our reasons for making these changes. If you'd like to find out more, please contact: Rachael Taylor or +44 207 542 8716