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News Direct Unveils TradeUp Powered by Instinct

News Direct

News Direct proudly announces the launch of TradeUp, a cutting-edge new media outreach solution powered by Instinct, poised to transform trade media dissemination and engagement. For years, newswire users have faced difficulty in effectively connecting with trade journalists due to a reliance on ill-suited methods of outreach — choosing broad industry verticals and sending press releases to generic lists of publications and anonymous writers. The most common result has been an inability to determine if journalists are engaging with their content. TradeUp, empowered by Instinct’s innovative AI technology, represents a groundbreaking advancement in media outreach. TradeUp removes the guesswork and inefficiency offered by legacy newswires by offering a laser-focused, data-driven approach. TradeUp, allows issuers to move past generic media lists and instead begin engaging with journalists who have a genuine interest in, and have recently written about, their industry news. Key Features of TradeUp Include: Precise Journalist Identification: Instinct's AI instantaneously scans millions of articles in real-time, identifying and delivering key details about journalists, including contact information, beat, publication, recently published articles and even the Domain Ranking of the publishers' websites. This ensures news reaches the appropriate targets and enables interaction with individual journalists, thereby boosting the chances for earned coverage. Automated Pitching: Send personalized pitches directly from the Instinct platform, streamlining media relations efforts and making it easier to connect with the most relevant journalists. Reach More Than Just Trade Journals: The capabilities of TradeUp extend beyond solely vertical industry publications. The platform will generate data from reporters from a wide range of media outlets, from newspapers to broadcast stations, broadening the outreach footprint and increasing the chance to earn meaningful coverage. Elevates Trade Media Outreach Strategy TradeUp lets News Direct customers experience the new era of trade media engagement that uses an AI-driven approach to simplify the media targeting process and amplify the message by matching content with the appropriate journalists with the precision, speed and efficiency that only AI can deliver. About News Direct News Direct is a technology-driven content distribution and amplification platform for PR, IR, corporate communications and marketing professionals. Our automated platform delivers a completely reimagined, modernized user experience for newswire users that has reshaped the industry landscape. Additionally, the company has expanded its offerings to include an array of technology-enhanced message amplification tools ranging from sponsored content to podcasting products, all from a single online destination. Contact Details News Direct Gregg Castano, CEO +1 917-698-4131 gregg.castano@newsdirect.com Company Website http://www.newsdirect.com

August 14, 2024 08:45 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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COMCAST RISE, A NATIONAL INITIATIVE TO SUPPORT AND STRENGTHEN SMALL BUSINESSES, AWARDS ANOTHER 100 HOUSTONIANS WITH COMPREHENSIVE GRANT PACKAGES

Comcast Texas

Today, Comcast announced the 100 businesses in the Greater Houston area that will receive comprehensive grant packages, which include business consultation services, educational resources, a $5,000 monetary grant, creative production, media schedule, and a technology makeover. The recipients are among more than 14,000 entrepreneurs nationwide who have been selected through the Comcast RISE program to date. Comcast RISE is committed to supporting the growth of all small businesses, while advancing the objectives of diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as community investment. The program was created to help businesses and their communities thrive, with a focus on economic growth. The regions in this round included Atlanta, Houston, Jacksonville, Richmond, VA and southern Colorado. 100 grants per city, or 500 grants overall, were announced today and will be awarded in September 2024. A sample of Houston’s grant recipients include Red Circle Ice Cream in southwest Houston, and Miyagi Ken International Karate Academy in Spring. “I’m speechless. As a small business, this means the world to us,” said Nickey Ngo, owner of Red Circle Ice Cream. “We’re a small mom and pop ice cream shop, doing everything by ourselves. I feel like I won the lottery. Comcast RISE will help grow my business and keep up with the competition.” “Supporting small businesses means investing in the heart of our communities,” said Loren Hudson, SVP and Chief Diversity Officer, Connectivity and Platforms, Comcast. “By empowering entrepreneurs and small business owners with the skills and resources they need to grow and succeed, we help ensure our local neighborhoods can flourish and thrive too.” Comcast RISE was created in November 2020 to help small businesses hardest hit by COVID-19, from bakeries and barber shops to childcare centers and cleaning services, by providing the grants needed to survive and recover. The program has evolved from helping businesses survive the pandemic, to helping businesses and their communities thrive with a focus on economic growth. Grant packages include: COACHING SESSIONS - Business assessment and coaching that provide business owners with recommendations on how to help grow their businesses. EDUCATION RESOURCES - 12-month access to online entrepreneurship courses, learning modules and resources for small business owners. MONETARY GRANT - $5,000 monetary grant. CREATIVE PRODUCTION & MEDIA – Professionally produced 30-second TV commercial, plus a media strategy consultation and a 180-day linear media schedule. (Taxes and other fees may apply for production and media services.) TECHNOLOGY MAKEOVER - Computer equipment and Internet, Voice and Cybersecurity services for 12 months. (Taxes and other fees may apply for tech makeover services.) In addition, any small business owner can visit the Comcast RISE destination on X1 featuring aggregated small business news, tips, insights, and more. X1 customers can say “Comcast RISE” into the voice remote. Comcast RISE is part of Project UP, the company’s $1 billion commitment to advance digital equity through programs and community partnerships that connect people to the Internet, advance economic mobility and open doors for the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, storytellers and creators. More information is available at www.ComcastRISE.com. Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company. From the connectivity and platforms we provide, to the content and experiences we create, our businesses reach hundreds of millions of customers, viewers, and guests worldwide. We deliver world-class broadband, wireless, and video through Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky; produce, distribute, and stream leading entertainment, sports, and news through brands including NBC, Telemundo, Universal, Peacock, and Sky; and bring incredible theme parks and attractions to life through Universal Destinations & Experiences. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information. Contact Details Ilona Carson +1 346-624-2074 ilona_carson@comcast.com Company Website https://houston.comcast.com/

August 13, 2024 11:06 AM Central Daylight Time

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Open Letter Demands ‘Newsroom Reset’, Pushes for Adoption of Pro-Democracy Election Coverage Guidelines

Media and Democracy Project

Today, the Media and Democracy Project (MAD), along with 3,258 individuals, sent an open letter to executives, publishers, and union leaders of major media organizations urging them to adopt pro-democracy election coverage guidelines ( PDF ) that center fact-based reporting, push back against election lies, and uplift voting. MAD’s proposed guidelines respectfully request newsrooms switch their focus from polls and drama to candidates’ policies, past-governance, and behavior. “It’s time that newsrooms start to cover elections like they matter more than sports scores,” said Brian Hansbury, cofounder of MAD. “Our democratic institutions are under attack and it’s incumbent on newsrooms to recalibrate their political coverage to adopt and adhere to practices that are pro-truth, pro-voting, and pro-democracy.” MAD’s guidelines contain 18 recommendations organized into three categories—a focus on substantive issues coverage, extensive reporting on threats to democracy, and protecting Americans against the spread of disinformation. The guidelines provide specific actions reporters and editors can take to ensure practices that help voters make informed decisions at the ballot box. They include: Prioritize substantive coverage of the issues that matter to voters' lives; Make headlines accurate and informative, not clickbait; Stop making predictions and pushing polls at the expense of issue coverage; Celebrate and uplift election workers, voters, and the election process; Don’t set aside moral judgment when covering obvious lies and bigotry; Hold politicians to account for their positions, statements, and behavior, as well as those of their party’s leader; Expose candidates who foment political violence. The open letter emphasizes how crucial it is for voters to understand what’s at stake in November and the damaging impact that election lies have already had on our democracy. For instance, lies about the 2020 election have caused a spike in death threats for election officials and poll workers, making it difficult to recruit and retain them. Half of all female state legislators are considering leaving public office due to increased intimidation. Meanwhile, Trump allies are preparing plans like Project 2025, which would harm millions of Americans and cripple our democratic system. With 3,258 signatures and counting, the letter includes signatories such as Ruth Ben-Ghiat, NYU Professor of History and author of Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present and the Lucid newsletter, who stated, "It's never been more important for news organizations to analyze the threats to U.S. democracy in clear and precise terms. Americans deserve to know the scale and nature of the challenges we face this November and beyond." The rights and freedoms that Americans cherish are at risk. As an essential pillar of democracy, journalists and the news media have a moral responsibility to inform Americans about anti-democratic extremist movements. Another signatory, Mark Jacob, former Chicago Tribune editor and author of the Stop the Presses newsletter, said, “The news media know it's their job to warn people when a hurricane is bearing down on them. But when a fascist assault on our democracy is bearing down on them, the media sometimes think it would be biased to warn people about it. That has to change before it's too late.” It’s more important than ever for journalists, editors, and their publishers to step up and put the public before profit, democracy before tyranny, and truth before lies. "Democracy is at stake–and as the open letter so powerfully demands, we need our news media to step up and be responsible,” said Norm Ornstein, political scientist and Senior Fellow Emeritus at the American Enterprise Institute. To learn more about this effort advocating for pro-democracy election coverage, and see who else signed the open letter visit MAD’s website. The Media and Democracy Project: MAD is a non-partisan, all-volunteer, grassroots organization focused on strengthening a free and independent media in the public interest. MAD aims to improve our national discourse so that American voters can engage in informed decision-making. As part of that goal, MAD has an interest in the responsibility of journalists and media to report fully, accurately, and fairly on the electoral process and the outcome of elections. Additional information is available at www.MediaAndDemocracyProject.Org. Contact Details Aaron Alberico +1 202-744-0786 aalberico@raynoravenue.com Company Website https://www.mediaanddemocracyproject.org/

August 12, 2024 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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NAVEX to Demystify IT Risk Communication at ISACA GRC Conference

NAVEX Global

NAVEX, the global leader in integrated risk and compliance management software, will deliver a key session at the upcoming ISACA Governance, Risk, and Control (GRC) Conference in Austin, Texas, August 12-14, 2024. The session, " Getting Our Wires Crossed: How to Speak IT Risk as a Compliance Professional," will be presented by Kyle Martin, Vice President of GRC Solutions at NAVEX, and Robert Clark, Chief Audit and Compliance Officer at Howard University. In an era where cybersecurity threats and regulatory pressures are at an all-time high, the ability to effectively communicate IT risks across organizational silos has become a critical skill for compliance professionals. Attendees can join the session, CS 7–4, on August 13th at 11:00 to gain valuable insights into: Understanding and translating risk and compliance terminology. Evaluating program maturity levels and their organizational implications. Assessing risks and controls across all business facets, including third-party risk management. Crafting compelling IT risk reports for executive teams and board directors. "In today's interconnected business environment, the ability to translate IT risk insights into compelling narratives for CEOs is no longer optional—it's essential," said Kyle Martin. "As a result, this session aims to empower compliance professionals with the tools they need to navigate this critical intersection confidently." The ISACA GRC Conference, now in its 11th year, brings together leading minds in governance, risk management, and control to provide world-class content and practical guidance. NAVEX's participation underscores its commitment to advancing the field of integrated risk and compliance management. For more information about NAVEX's participation in the ISACA GRC Conference 2024 or to schedule an interview with the speakers, please contact Senior Public Relations Manager, Scott Levesque at scott.levesque@navex.com. NAVEX is trusted by thousands of customers worldwide to help them achieve the business outcomes that matter most. As the global leader in integrated risk and compliance management software and services, we deliver solutions through the NAVEX One platform, the industry’s most comprehensive governance, risk and compliance (GRC) information system. For more information, visit NAVEX.com and our blog. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. Contact Details Navex Global scott.levesque@navex.com Company Website https://navex.com

August 06, 2024 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum to Open Voting by Mail Exhibition

National Postal Museum

Voting by mail did not start during the Covid-19 pandemic. It began in various forms during the Civil War when soldiers could not get home to vote and it picked up steam again during World War II for the same reason. Mail has been and continues to be a method for providing citizens with access to election information and materials. Today, every state has some form of voting by mail. The National Postal Museum’s exhibition “Voting by Mail: Civil War to Covid-19” explores the significant role of voting by mail in America’s democracy. Over time, legislation for both military and civilian voting using the mail has been shaped by events and politics with provisions added, removed and amended. On view Saturday, Aug. 24, through Feb. 23, 2025, “Voting by Mail” invites visitors to explore the changing logistical and political reasons for the various ways mail has been part of the election process, and how it continues to define where, when and how Americans vote in elections. Early methods for absentee voting that used the mail enabled military members to participate in elections when wartime deployments took them away from their polling precincts. The Civil War and World War II caused many states to temporarily establish or expand absentee voting for significant numbers of voters in the military. Allowances for civilians voting absentee grew in the early 20th century and in 1901 Kansas became the first state to permit voting by mail but limited this to railroad employees traveling for work. Since the 1980s, in addition to in-person voting, some jurisdictions, including eight states and the District of Columbia, have instituted all-mail voting with the automatic distribution of ballots to registered voters. The public health emergency of the Covid-19 pandemic brought about temporary procedures, new laws and debates over using the mail for voting. Objects on display focus on the early history of voting by mail in the U.S. and ways the mail is used in modern elections. A Civil War envelope for mailing soldiers’ votes on a tally sheet enabled deployed military service members to participate in the Ohio state election of 1864. World War II absentee voting materials developed for U.S. Armed Forces, including the design of a blank ballot allowed the government to distribute them before specific candidate names became available, thus accommodating weeks-long mailing time for U.S. forces overseas. Examples of modern election mail including an absentee ballot, an envelope for a mail-in ballot, an official election information guide, and notices announcing elections. “We are excited to present the role of mail in U.S. elections for government representatives serving the American public,” said Elliot Gruber, director of the museum. “The history of mail as an official conduit of election information and election voting materials has long been part of our nation’s history.” The exhibition is supported by public and exhibition programming, as well as educational resources for teachers. A special website makes available the stories, themes and historical artifacts presented in the exhibition. About the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum The National Postal Museum is devoted to presenting the colorful and engaging history of the nation's mail service and showcasing one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of stamps and philatelic material in the world. It is located at 2 Massachusetts Ave. N.E., Washington, D.C., across from Union Station. The museum is currently open Friday through Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For more information about the Smithsonian, call (202) 633-1000. Contact Details Smithsonian National Postal Museum Marty Emery +1 202-431-8963 emerym@si.edu Company Website https://postalmuseum.si.edu/

July 31, 2024 09:26 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Text Patents a Method for Combining Asynchronous and Real-Time Communication

Text, Inc.

Text, a global leader in B2B text communication solutions, has secured its fifth patent in the United States. The patented "system and method" enables the seamless integration of asynchronous communication channels with real-time communication within a single platform. "Customers want to communicate with companies in various ways. Sometimes, an email or another method that allows the recipient to respond later is best, which is asynchronous communication. However, sometimes rapid, direct, real-time interaction is necessary. Our technology enables seamless integration of these communication types, providing real benefits for our clients: increased user satisfaction, faster issue resolution, and better management of existing information, " explains Konrad Kruk, Head of Widget and the patent's author. The patent granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) describes a system and method that integrates asynchronous messaging with real-time communication, allowing smooth transitions between different communication modes within a single platform. The invention enables users to switch between messages (such as emails or SMS) and real-time interactions (such as voice or video calls) without leaving the communication platform or starting a new session. "This is our fifth patent, confirming our position as one of the technological innovators in the industry. We are especially proud because the secured solution introduces significant improvements in online communication, ensuring companies maintain uninterrupted and consistent communication with customers across various industries, " said Katarzyna Rogowska, head of Text's legal department. The key benefits of the newly patented solution for Text's clients and end-users include: - Improved communication efficiency: Combining asynchronous messaging with real-time communication on one platform reduces the need to switch between different communication tools, saving time and increasing productivity. - Enhanced user experience: Internet users communicating with companies via solutions like LiveChat can enjoy seamless communication, effortlessly transitioning between messaging and real-time conversations. This particularly benefits customer service, remote work, and collaborative projects. - Increased accessibility: The unified interface makes managing communications easier, ensuring that important messages and real-time interactions are never missed. This is particularly useful in environments where timely communication is critical. - Easier and more efficient record-keeping: The synchronization feature ensures that all communications are recorded, providing a reliable record of interactions. This can be crucial for legal, compliance, and reference purposes. - Scalability and flexibility: The system can be scaled to suit different organizational sizes and integrated with other systems, making it a flexible solution for various industries and applications. In summary, the invention registered by the USPTO enhances communication by combining the advantages of asynchronous messaging and real-time communication in one coherent system, offering increased efficiency, user experience, and accessibility for individuals and organizations. Operating in the “customer service” business, Text (formerly LiveChat) is one of the leaders in the global market for live chat solutions. Its LiveChat product supports companies in customer service, online sales support, and lead generation—allowing its partners to stay in touch with their customers anywhere and anytime. Text’s other products include ChatBot, HelpDesk, KnowledgeBase, and OpenWidget. LiveChat is used by over 37 thousand companies in 150 countries, the ChatBot product has over 2,800 customers in more than 30 countries, and the Helpdesk product has over 1,000 customers. Contact Details PR Team pr@text.com Company Website https://text.com/

July 29, 2024 05:34 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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BestGrowthStocks.Com Issues Analysis on the Next Beneficiaries of the AI Revolution

SoundHound AI Inc.

NEW YORK, NY / NewsDirect / July 22nd, 2024 / Best Growth Stocks, a leading independent equity research and corporate access firm focused on finding and reporting on the best growth stocks utilizing exclusive ai-assisted research recently issued a comprehensive analysis of SoundHound AI, Inc. a pioneer in advanced voice-enabled AI and conversational intelligence technologies and a comprehensive analysis of the next beneficiaries of the AI revolution. SoundHound AI, Inc. (NASDAQ: SOUN) has garnered significant investor attention following multiple recent announcements that could prove to be significant catalysts for the AI company. Best Growth Stock's full report offers an analysis of SoundHound’s operations, potential upcoming catalysts, growth drivers, financials, share structure, chart, and more. Bonus content “The Next Beneficiaries of the AI Revolution” offers a comprehensive analysis of the next beneficiaries of the AI revolution, which ones stand to benefit near term, and stocks under $15/share to watch within each sector. Access this full analysis and bonus AI report with no obligation: https://bestgrowthstocks.com/soun-analysis/ Access this full analysis and bonus AI report with no obligation: https://bestgrowthstocks.com/soun-analysis/ About SoundHound AI SoundHound AI (Nasdaq: SOUN), a global leader in conversational intelligence, offers voice AI solutions that let businesses offer incredible conversational experiences to their customers. Built on proprietary technology, SoundHound’s voice AI delivers best-in-class speed and accuracy in numerous languages to product creators across automotive, TV, and IoT, and to customer service industries via groundbreaking AI-driven products like Smart Answering, Smart Ordering, and Dynamic Drive Thru, an AI-powered multimodal food ordering solution. Along with SoundHound Chat AI, a powerful voice assistant with integrated Generative AI, SoundHound powers millions of products and services, and processes billions of interactions each year for world class businesses. About Best Growth Stocks Best Growth Stocks is a leading independent equity research and corporate access firm focused on finding and reporting on the best growth stocks utilizing our exclusive ai-assisted research. BGS is also a financial news provider, focused on giving investors direct access to CEOs of promising, publicly-traded companies, and market experts. Our CEO interviews aim to answer the questions that rest on the minds of current and future shareholders. This is not to be construed as financial advice. Please consult with a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decisions. Media Contact Best Growth Stocks Senior Editor: Steve Macalbry Editor@BestGrowthStocks.com SOURCE: BestGrowthStocks.Com Contact Details Media Source LLC Steve Macalbry +1 989-274-7778 Editor@bestgrowthstocks.com

July 22, 2024 07:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Avenue Z Promotes Nneka Etoniru to Executive Vice President of Global Brand Strategy

Avenue Z

Avenue Z, a media and technology company driving influence for clients across all channels, announces the appointment of Nneka Etoniru as its EVP, Global Brand Strategy. Etoniru brings nearly 15 years of experience in press and communications, helping clients elevate their brand positioning, navigate crises and manage their reputation. She has a track record of delivering successful campaigns and taking companies public from a communications perspective. With this appointment, she will oversee the full breadth of Brand Strategy across Avenue Z and offer strategic counsel to ultimately help clients increase revenue and protect their reputations. "Nneka has consistently demonstrated her ability to excel in high-stakes situations. From our initial strategic discussions, it was evident she would play a pivotal role in Avenue Z's expansion of services that drive influence across channels. During our recent unification, she took the lead in aligning our brand portfolio, and her expertise in Crisis Communications and Branding has become fundamental to our core competencies,” stated Jeffrey Herzog, Chairman and CEO of Avenue Z. “ Nneka's elevation to EVP of Global Brand Strategy is a natural progression and reflects her significant contributions to our organization." At Avenue Z, she is the head of the New York office, manages publicly listed companies and counsels visionary founders. Her clients include technology brands like Better.com, the mortgage lender with $100 billion of funded loans, where she has overseen campaigns such as the launch of the world’s first One Day Mortgage(™) as well as Equity Unlocker, which empowers Amazon employees to use equity as collateral for home buying. Her other clients have included Easterly Government Properties (NYSE: DEA), which acquires, develops and manages mission-critical commercial properties leased to the U.S. Government, and private equity firms like Recharge Capital, whose investments in women’s health include backers like Thiel, Shamrock Capital and the Olayan family office. “Our team is made better with Nneka’s impressive background,” says Jess Dalziel, Chief Client Officer at Avenue Z. "Her unique experience managing complex projects positions Avenue Z as matter experts across multiple industries, and her ability to provide our clients with strong strategic counsel will continue to set our offerings apart." Before joining Avenue Z, Etoniru was a Senior Director at FTI Consulting working with clients like Mastercard, Kraken, IFM Investors and Voyager Space. Previously, she led communications at fintech startups like IMTC, where she helped launch the rebrand of IMTC (formerly CBXmarket) with the CSO and COO and oversaw all PR and marketing streams. Prior to making her mark as a strategic communications expert, Etoniru was a financial journalist at REDD Intelligence, covering emerging markets. Etoniru earned a bachelor's degree in Political Science and Spanish from New York University and a Wharton certificate in fintech. In 2023, she was recognized among Crain’s Notable Leaders in Advertising, Marketing and PR award recipients. Avenue Z is a media and technology company breaking traditional boundaries between marketing, advertising and PR to increase client revenue and elevate their reputation. From the Wall Street Journal to TikTok, PR to social and search, we create narratives that drive commerce, connections, and conversion, across all channels. With experts, tech and teams based in New York, Boston, Orlando, Miami and global reach - we drive influence. Visit www.avenuez.com Contact Details Avenue Z Madeleine Worrall +1 817-808-1521 madeleine.worrall@avenuez.com Company Website https://avenuez.com/

July 18, 2024 09:16 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Freelance jobs grow despite AI, finds new data from Freelancer.com

FREELANCER.COM

Freelancer.com (ASX: FLN), the world’s largest freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace by number of users and jobs posted, today released its quarterly Fast 50 Index for Q2 2024 based on data from 251,000 jobs posted to the platform. Computer Security (up 27.1% from 868 to 1,103 jobs) emerges as the fastest-growing freelance skill on Freelancer.com, based on job postings across more than 2,000 skill categories from April 1 to June 30, 2024. This trend in cybersecurity skills suggests more small-to-medium businesses are turning to freelancers for cyber security support, further backed by Network Administration (up 9.9%, from 1,229 to 1,351) also placing in the top 25 fastest growing jobs on the platform. The data also shows no negative impact on generative AI tools on freelance jobs, evident in the growth of Writing, Business Service, and Legal Skills seen in this quarter’s Fast 50 report, all of which were predicted to decrease with the rise in generative AI. PDF writing (up 26.7%, from 2,533 to 3,210) was the second fastest growing job, followed by third place being Microsoft Word (up 23.9%, from 3,368 to 4,173) projects which are also associated with content writing. Writing job Copy Typing came in at the 16th place, growing 11.6% (from 4,428 to 4,941). Legal jobs, which were expected to have been ‘at threat’ to AI, have also increased (up 12.0% from 1,138 to 1,274), as well as Legal Research (up 10.8% from 917 to 1,016). In addition to the index, Freelancer.com ’s annual AI survey, which surveyed more than 4,100 workers globally, investigated AI impact on income and the initial results are shedding light on earnings. When asked how the introduction of AI tools have impacted earnings, more than half of workers (52.5%) reveal they’re earning either the same or more. One fifth (19.2%) say that they’re earning a lot more since generative AI tools were introduced, while only one sixth (17.7%) admit to earning less. “AI is creating more jobs than it takes. While many critics continue to speculate which jobs will be made redundant with AI tools, the data shows that freelance jobs which are labeled as the ‘most at risk to AI disruption’ are in fact growing. The preliminary results from our AI survey also dispel the myth that freelancer are earning less since the introduction of generative AI as more three quarters of workers we surveyed are either earning the same or earning more, with a subset taking advantage of AI and earning a lot more.” said Matt Barrie, Chief Executive at Freelancer.com. Cybersecurity threats are on the rise across all organizations, but are particularly harmful for small-to-medium sized businesses (SMBs) which have little-to-no security expertise and usually minimal protection. As a result, businesses turned to freelancers for help. In 2Q24, Computer Security jobs ranked as the fastest growing skills (up 27%), indicating there has been an uptick in cyber security threats targeting SMBs. Many of the projects posted throughout the quarter require help with network security, security assessments to identify potential vulnerabilities, and creation of cyber security response play books. General business services are also increasing on the platform as more employers are hiring freelancers to support their small businesses. A clear indication of this is the popularity of Market Research and Telemarketing jobs coming in as the fourth and fifth fastest growing skills in Q2 2024, up by 21.1% (from 1,525 to 1,859) and 19.4% (from 1,177 to 1,405), respectively. Other business related skills grew in Q2 2024, including Sales (up 15.5% from 3.467 to 4,005), Lead Generation (up 12.2% from 1,802 to 2,021) and Business Plans (up 10.9% from 1,197 to 1,328). A sudden increase in General business services means that many of the new businesses, which are usually started at the beginning of the year, now require further assistance in helping grow and scale their business. Fastest Falling Skills for Q2 2024 The main category of jobs that fell in Q2 2024 was eCommerce related jobs, which saw a significant increase in Q1 2024. Shopify Templates, ranked as the fastest falling skill and was down by 13% (from 1,476 to 1,284). CSS, which is commonly used in website development, was also down (11.8% from 9.486 to 8,368). Both WooCommerce (from 1.072 to 952) and Shopify (2,545 to 2,269) also fell in the quarter. The easing of eCommerce jobs in this quarter was mainly due to seasonality. Typically, entrepreneurs will start a business at the beginning of the year, requiring help to set up their websites or eCommerce platforms. From there, the entrepreneur either pivots to hiring freelancers for other business services, such as sales or research which we’ve seen in Q2 2024 fastest growing jobs, or are equipped with enough to run their business without any further help. Fastest Growing Overall Job The most popular online freelancing job by total volume is currently Graphic Design with almost double the amount of projects than the other top skills. Graphic Design is followed by PHP (programming), Photoshop, Website Design and HTML (programming). These are typically the best skills for any new freelancer to focus on initially when starting their freelancing journey. How Electronic Repairs Are Becoming the Fastest Growing Skill Globally Electronic Repairs has emerged as one of the fastest-growing job categories on the platform over the past year. In Q2 2024, it ranked 19th among the top 25 fastest-growing jobs, with a 10.7% increase (from 14,945 to 16,548 jobs). However, its most impressive growth is evident in the year-over-year comparison, where Electronic Repairs jobs surged by 162%, from 6,315 in Q2 2023 to 16,548 in Q2 2024. Electronic Repairs are in-person jobs where freelancers are deployed across select countries and cities to fix laptops, printers and computer hardware as part of the Freelancer Global Fleet Program. ##### Freelancer.com Fast 50 The Freelancer.com Fast 50 index is the world’s largest forward indicator of trends in online jobs related to industries, technologies, products, and companies. The data is based on 251,000 jobs posted to the Freelancer.com platform between 1st April to 30th June 2024. Data: Fast 50 Quarterly Index – Q2 2024 2023 Q2 v 2024 Q2 Fastest Growing Jobs for Q2 2024 Fastest Falling Jobs for Q2 2024 About Freelancer Twelve-time Webby award-winning Freelancer.com is the world’s largest freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace by total number of users and projects posted. More than 74 million registered users have posted over 23.8 million projects and contests to date in over 2,000 areas as diverse as website development, logo design, marketing, copywriting, astrophysics, aerospace engineering and manufacturing. Freelancer owns Escrow.com and Loadshift. Freelancer Limited is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange under the ticker ASX:FLN and is quoted on OTCQX Best Market under the ticker FLNCF. Contact Details Freelancer.com Marko Zitko +1 650-800-6863 mzitko@freelancer.com

July 18, 2024 07:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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