Definition of clipping bureau

service whose primary function is to read newspapers and periodicals and to clip articles and other information from these sources to send to customers who pay for this service. Subscribers to a clipping bureau include public relations firms who want to demonstrate and keep track of their ability to get their clients' names in print; advertisers and advertising agencies, who want to keep track of their advertising as well as the competitors'; individuals such as political figures, who want to keep track of their publicity; or research groups, who want to be aware of all that is printed about a particular area in which they are working. Some clipping services specialize in particular classes of publications; others cover the wide general area of publications in a specific region. All of them read hundreds of publications daily and send their findings on a contractually specified basis.