Journalists are storytellers. No matter what happens to the newspaper industry – and it’s anyone’s guess on what will transpire in the next 5, 10 or 20 years – there will always be a market for storytelling.
That’s good news for public relations professionals.
We’ll often hear someone say “dealing with the media isn’t what it used to be.” That’s true. Many familiar faces have left city and suburban newspapers and TV and radio stations. Newsholes have shrunk. And many editors and writers don’t have time to cover events that would have received a lot of attention in previous years.
But change brings opportunity.
For example, consider:
- the new online hyperlocal publications – such as Patch.com – sprouting up around the Chicago suburbs.
- the increasing amount of content TV stations need for the hours of news airtime each weekday in the early morning, midday and evenings.
- that the web allows newspapers and other news outlets unlimited space to run stories, photo and video.
- the storytelling opportunities on social media – especially when a video goes viral.
- the niche publications – such as Crain’s Chicago Business and its related magazines – that have dedicated audiences, are adopting multiple news gathering platforms and are going strong.
The key? Make sure you have a good story. Even in this splintered and fractured media environment, the one common thread is that good stories resonate with journalists and their readers and viewers, whether it’s a feature story in a local newspaper or a YouTube video.
Today, everyone needs to be a storyteller.
-- Bob Musinski
Recent Comments