Adapting PR Strategies For Media Needs

In today’s Insight, we discuss adapting PR strategies for media needs. Seasoned communications professionals know that the media landscape is changing. Publications continue to close or decrease their number of reporters in efforts to save money.

COVID-19’s impact on remote working has provided an even greater opportunity for organizations to become publishers of their content. However, that doesn’t mean that traditional media is dead.

How does the loss of news outlets and staff affect communications professionals and our efforts to land traditional media opportunities for clients? Let’s take a look at some of the ways that we, as communications professionals, need to adapt for the new, streamlined newsroom:

Be Responsive and Prepared:

Have everything ready, so the information and spokespeople are available when the reporter becomes interested in the story.

Advising Reporters:

More often, reporters now cover a variety of topics instead of one topic. This makes it critical to educate reporters with simple, easily digestible background information.

Localize Pitches:

Prepare local clients as subject matter experts who can localize a national story. Local outlets are interested in the local impact.

Give Reporters Time:

With many reporters working remotely, get creative in communication. Reach out via Twitter or text but allow more than just a day for follow-up.

Event Reliability:

Press events used to be a reliable way to attract a media; however, with the current COVID-19 restrictions, most events aren’t happening. Instead, provide a video or a link to a live stream of the key spokespersons sharing the information that would normally be shared at a press event.

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All industries have been forced to evolve due to the impacts of COVID-19 while optimizing the bottom-line. As news outlets continue to shift how they do business, we will continue to adapt to those changes by utilizing the fundamentals of what we already know, applying them in subtly different ways, and also generating content via self-publishing options and social media.

Thank you for reading our Insight on adapting PR strategies for media needs, if you have any questions about these strategies, please feel free to talk to Veronica. To learn more about adapting to a crisis, read Jessica’s Insight.

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