Adapting to a changing media landscape
Are you more interested in how the federal government is spending taxpayer dollars or your neighborhood association’s recent activities? A new breed of journalism indicates people might prefer the latter.
A recent report on CNN.com states that as more newspapers shed reporters, Web sites with locally driven content are proliferating. Industry observers believe these hyperlocal sites, such as the West Seattle Blog, are filling a void left by more traditional news sources. The sites feature local stories, some written by volunteer reporters, that impact readers’ daily lives. So what does this mean for those of us in the media relations biz and for companies who are trying to obtain media coverage? That depends on how savvy we are at hyperlocalizing our news and how adept we are at getting the attention of a different kind of reporter.
The media landscape is changing every day, and traditional news sources are quickly losing ground. While they struggle to reinvent themselves and new types of media outlets spring to life, organizations must let go of old tactics and embrace a new style of news, which includes tweets, posts and micro-focused information. We have to get creative in our relationship building and anticipate the changes that will continue to take place as the news industry evolves.
For now, while it may not be prudent to forgo all traditional media relations activities, it is certainly appropriate to ask yourself, “How can I tailor my news to a variety of niche outlets and reach out to them in a meaningful way?” A broader perspective on this issue will likely lead to a more targeted and localized approach to the news and to those who are reporting it.
–Laura Figueroa
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