UT advertising and public relations students are the first to get experience using the third largest news distribution service in the world, Access Newswire, in the classroom.
The service allows for public relations professionals to share material with the media. Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations assistant professor of practice Joe Stabb goes into more detail about the software.
“It’s one of many different news wire services that exist,” Stabb said. “And it is a tool that many of us in the professional world use for sending media pitches, sending press releases, coordinating our online newsroom environments and doing media monitoring.”
The software was introduced in Stabb’s classroom starting in fall of 2025. He is the first faculty member in the country to use this tool in the classroom.
Stabb worked with the team at Access Newswire for over a year to create a custom environment for his class. He says he found the team at Access Newswire great to work with and very supportive of students having access to the program.
“I had met the VP of marketing and sales, the president and CEO of Access Newswire at our industry conference at PRSA a few years ago,” Stabb said. “I had mentioned to them that it would be really great to be able to use these tools in the classroom.”
Having access to the software allows students to have hands-on experience with the industry tools. Here students are able to explore the system and use it. They can also practice writing media kits, press releases and more while also getting feedback on how to improve. Stabb says it’s a great tool for students to add to their resume.
“It’s really great for a student when they graduate,” Stabb said. “It’s something they can talk about in interviews that they have used these types of softwares in the classroom.”
Sophia Black, a senior public relations major, talked about how her classroom experience incorporated the software and how it’ll help her in the future.
“In the classroom, we practice writing press releases in Access Newswire,” Black said. “We also practiced forming media lists and how to search for those media contacts. It is very user friendly and easy to learn. It has given me a huge leg up as I am applying for full-time jobs because no other class in the country has been able to use this platform.”
Other students are having a positive experience learning how to navigate Access Newswire. Bess White, a graduate advertising and public relations major, went into detail about her experience using Access Newswire.
“It’s just great practice if I go work at an agency. I feel a lot more comfortable with the process of doing those things,” White said. “I think something that is awesome about Tombras is always putting us at an advantage, and I feel very well prepared for the corporate world.”
