Recession Proof Your News

After a two-week hiatus I'm back to share some thoughts about the changes occuring in the newspaper industry. I recently attended the NYPA (New York Press Association) conference in Saratoga Springs, NY and realized that while we are all aware that media outlets are struggling, we don't know enough about it. I thought I'd share a little of what's going on behind the scenes in newsrooms:

The newspaper business has fallen into desperate times. The combination of a crushing recession and a shifting media landscape have brought layoffs to an all time high. Tightening budgets are eliminating whole sections of the newspaper and some papers are folding their print format to go online only. According to the 2009 PR Week/PRNewswire Media Survey 50% of journalists surveyed are considering switching careers.

What does this mean for journalists lucky enough to still have jobs? In short, more work. Today’s journalist has more to do, with less assistance, and even less time. They write print and web stories, and are responsible for things like blogs, videos, and Twitter updates too. Journalists are also making use of social media platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn to further network and engage readers.

Online news has rescued some papers who cannot keep up with print costs. Many papers who could not afford to keep their presses running have switched to a completely electronic format, others print only a few days a week and carry the other news on their website. We have to learn to let go of the “nostalgia” that goes with the printed news. This article in the Daily Iowan said it well. Here’s an excerpt:

“You may love the morning ritual of the paper and coffee, as I do, but do you seriously think that this deserves a subsidy? Sorry, but people who have grown up around computers find reading the news on paper just as annoying as you find reading it on a screen. (All that ink on your hands and clothes.) If your concern is grander that if we don’t save traditional newspapers, we will lose information vital to democracy you are saying that people should get this information whether or not they want it. That’s an unattractive argument: shoving information down people’s throats in the name of democracy.”

Newspapers aren’t the only medium experiencing tough times – Televised news has changed dramatically as well. TV crews are few and far between and today’s TV journalists must be able to cover a news story alone. Television journalists are now referred to as “MoJos”, short for Mobile Journalists. Many TV stations will not consider hiring someone unless they can write news stories, shoot and edit video, and anchor a news segment.

Blogs are becoming a crucial part of the news industry. They are typically less formal than actual news articles, but they’re interactive, allowing the media outlet to get feedback from it’s online audience. The use of blogs also gives the writer the capability to brand him/herself and create a web persona. Blogs also allow for more specialized content, like dining, entertainment, lifestyles, and arts. Albany’s newspaper the Times Union has a great selection of specialty blogs.

As a PR professional, what can you do to improve the odds of your news getting picked up in troubled times? To begin with, your news releases should be in a format that’s easy for journalists everywhere to use. It’s easy for reporters and editors to import news stories directly into their editorial system and even their websites through a variety of feeds and widgets. Your press releases should be available as more than just emails or faxes.

If you want your news to get the coverage it deserves, aim to make journalists’ jobs easier. Do this by providing high-quality, well-written, newsworthy press release content. Keep your news as close to “printable” as possible, and always make yourself available to reporters for follow up. Make it your goal to make the jobs of over-worked journalists everywhere easier.