As long as we are picking our figurative deaths (recall Tom Foremski famously proclaimed the Death of the Press Release) I thought it might be time to declare the Death of Media Relations.
Not as in the sense: “the media are not important, and it is no longer important to have productive relations with them.” But perhaps in the sense of: “it is time to send up a flare to question the ‘usual’ PR approach to the media.”
I believe Press Management and Media Relations in the classical sense are quickly becoming obsolete.
I can anticipate my colleagues and clients stewing over this and
wondering if I have lost my marbles. Am I throwing in the towel and
saying the field is without relevance?
Not at all, just pointing out the obvious. With news cycles dwindling to zero, and media becoming more fractured and democratized, old school strategies like making the time to meet with journalists and discuss pieces of news over extended periods of time seem ever more quaint and slow. Journalists have their hands full just keeping up with an increasingly competitive marketplace for information.
Plus, they – just like everyone else – are finding new ways to get info, making the term Press Management seem like an oxymoron (yes, it is perhaps the “dirty secret” that some very good journalists get very good tips and story ideas from PR folks).
But these days, with the pace of things, the results of “old school” PR look a day late and a dollar short.
Does this mean we give up on the battle of taking the time to get to know journalists, and educating them about issues of importance to our clients and employers?
No, it just means that the job is that much harder now. And, given some other trends I have cited… the erosion of the 4th estate as a separate institution, and the fact that the same journalists, bloggers and analysts often wear a number of hats and play different information economy roles – I think journalist relations should become part of the larger universe called Influencer Relations.
What are your thoughts?
Next up on the “PR Deathwatch List”
Media Tours
Embargoes and Exclusives
Media Kits
Seems like media relations is being rolled into other PR responsiblities, like so many other jobs these days.
Plus, who wants to do just media relations, anyway? 🙂 It’s frustrating because reporters never want to talk to you. Perhaps the director of communications or something like that can start training the people in the know how to work with the media. The person being interviewed is the one with the most valuable information. Media wins! The middle man is being squeezed out.