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Shel Holtz
Communicating at the Intersection of Business and Technology
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Media Relations: Not dead yet

Media Relations: Not dead yet

The death of media relations has been greatly exaggerated

I read a report in Bulldog Reporter that asserts the practice of media relations is dying. David Oates (founder of Stalwart Communications) argues that organizations armed with digital and social media can to go directly to their audiences and no longer require the filter of the media to tell their stories. This, of course, is true. It’s what content marketing is all about. To conclude that media relations is consequently on its death bed, however, is just plain wrong.

I haven’t had an opportunity to use this mantra in a while: New media do not kill old media. Old media adapt. They also often contract, but rarely do they disappear. Television didn’t kill radio or theater. Why would the Internet kill professional journalism rather than force it to adjust to new realities?

As with most things, the situation is not a clear either-or. It is (as Mitch Joel likes to say) “along with.”

Let’s start with the much-maligned (and deservedly so) press release, one of the most common media relations tools. Sure, journalists hate them—but they also actually use them. According to a 2014 study from Greentarget, more than a third of journalists get story ideas from press release and 88% find value in releases. Press releases are where they go for quotes (assuming they’re genuine and substantive).

Press releases also deliver some SEO value (though less than they once did) and they still satisfy regulatory fair disclosure requirements, in most cases, better than any other means.

As for where people get their news, there can be no doubt that Facebook, Twitter, and other social media are chipping away at the amount of news obtained directly from mainstream media channels. The transition will take time, though, and we will never wind up with professional journalism channels marginalized completely out of existence.

The mainstream press is even more relevant in certain niches. There is no understating the importance of ESPN in the sports world, or The Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times in the worlds of economics and finance.

Even if mainstream media is ultimately doomed (it’s not, but let’s just pretend), we’re nowhere near that today, based on research from the American Presss Institute. Nearly 90% of Americans used television to get their news, and more than 60% used print newspapers or magazines. That’s right: For all the proclamations of the death of print, more than half of Americans still rely on it. Lest you think that’s strictly an older demographic that will die off soon enough, leaving only those who want their news digitally, consider that more Millennials pay for print magazines and newspapers than for digital magazines and newspaper online content, according to the Media Insight Project.

via GIPHY

(If we’re completely honest about just how far business’ ability to cover itself can go, imagine public response to the current Volkswagen scandal if Volkswagen’s online media channels were the only ones covering it. The idea is absurd. Yes, some people might check VW’s channels to see what they have to say, but the idea that they won’t read or view investigative reporting is ludicrous.)

In the course of my work, I judge a lot of PR and communication competition entries (for IABC, Ragan Communications, the Content Marketing Institute, and others). When it comes to creating exposure, based on the best entries I see, earning mainstream media coverage almost always generates far more than brand journalism does. I’m not downplaying the importance of brand journalism, of which I’m a proponent. But facts are facts. Taking it one step further, for a lot of companies the goal of brand journalism isn’t getting the content directly to consumers. Instead, it’s more efficient than press releases at getting stories into the press. (Just ask Coca-Cola, which has seen many of the articles published to its Journey brand portal picked up by the media.)

And, of course, among those who used their laptops, mobile devices, or computers, Facebook and Twitter weren’t their only sources. Further, many of those who do get their news from Facebook and Twitter get links to articles published by the mainstream media. A growing number of people will wait for confirmation of a story by a mainstream news outlet before sharing it and being embarrassed when it turns out that the celebrity death they spread (for example) was a hoax.

Americans still trust mainstream media, too. While that trust has been eroding (about 40% of Americans say they place a great deal or a fair amount of trust in mainstream media, according to Gallup research), trust is far lower in the institutions Oates suggests should strive to craft and deliver all their content themselves. (Just peruse the 2015 edition of the Edelman Trust Barometer to find out just how low public trust in business really is.) Don’t get me wrong—I’m a huge proponent of content marketing, but there is still tremendous value to be derived by having a trusted third party tell your story, too.

The idea of who constitutes the media that can tell your story is evolving, as well, with bloggers, YouTube producers, and even Instagrammers finding themselves the targets of pitches because organizations and agencies increasingly understand the amount of influence they wield. As for professional journalists, even they are pivoting to new-fangled reporting channels, like Pro Publica, the Center for Investigative Journalism, and Vox, among others. So even as the current channels for delivering professional journalism dwindle, new ones will take their place that could be even more relevant to news-consuming audiences. (Read Jeff Jarvis’ “Geeks Bearing Gifts” for insights into some of the directions journalism may evolve.)

We should also remember that media relations isn’t all about the pitch. It’s about the relationships. With a sound media relations strategy, reporters would be likely to call you when they’re doing research that could benefit from your company’s perspective. They might even give you a heads-up when they’re preparing a story about your organization. (If I handled reputation issues for the American Red Cross, you can be assured I would want the opportunity to participate in Pro Publica’s highly critical ongoing reporting on the organization.)

We also should be careful to remember the rest of the world. In some regions (Egypt, for instance), mainstream media remains absolutely vital, and not all our efforts are focused exclusively on the industrialized Western world.

Finally, consider what public relations does: It builds and maintains strong relationships with stakeholders. The press will continue to be an important stakeholder, regardless of how much gushing we might do over our aspirational vision of the future media landscape.

Ultimately, while organizations can and should become publishers, they should also recognize the power of the press and the importance of earned (vs. owned) media. Organizations that eschew the press exclusively in favor of their own owned outlets do so at their considerable peril.

11/05/15 | 1 Comment | Media Relations: Not dead yet

Comments
  • 1.Great post! Media relations is still more than viable.

    Ann Willets | November 2015 | New Jersey

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