Business Wire
no editorial leaning — corporate press release distributor
Background
Business Wire was founded on October 2, 1961, in San Francisco by Lorry I. Lokey, a journalist and public relations executive who saw a market for paid, simultaneous distribution of corporate press releases to newsrooms. Lokey ran the company independently for roughly 45 years before Berkshire Hathaway announced its acquisition in January 2006 and completed the purchase in March of that year. Under Berkshire ownership the company has operated as a private subsidiary with no obligation to publish financial results. In 2000, anticipating SEC Regulation FD, Business Wire ended a practice of giving media a 15-minute advance window on earnings releases, switching to simultaneous disclosure to both journalists and the general public. The service now reaches an estimated 92,000 media outlets in more than 160 countries and offers translation into 70-plus languages. Business Wire competes mainly with PR Newswire (owned by Cision) and GlobeNewswire. Because it functions as a conduit for client-authored content rather than an independent editorial voice, no major media-bias rating services — including AllSides, Ad Fontes Media, or Media Bias/Fact Check — have assigned it a political orientation.
Sources
- Berkshire Hathaway to Acquire Business Wire (press release, Jan. 17, 2006)
- Business Wire Acquisition Completed (press release, Mar. 1, 2006)
- Business Wire — Wikipedia
- Business Wire Media Bias — AllSides
- Business Wire Company Profile — Zippia
Profile compiled 2026-09-23; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.