As briefly referenced in another recent blog post, last month, Cision issued its 10th annual State of the Media report, which is always chock full of useful information for us PR pros. The report surveyed nearly 2,000 journalists from across the globe, gathering their insight on press releases and pitches, social media, data and more.
This year, an especially fascinating statistic jumped out at me – 47 percent of people trust the media (based on Edelman’s 2019 Trust Barometer). And while it may seem like an alarmingly low number (after all, we hope readers are trusting of the news we work hard to place for our clients!), it’s actually a three percent increase over last year. And it’s possible that the “fake news” movement could have contributed to that increase, as readers are now more acutely aware of credible news sources, thus restoring their trust in honest journalism.
The three percent increase in trust notwithstanding, a slew of challenges in journalism remain. Here, we’ll take a closer look at the top four threats, based on the report:
1) Social networks and influencers. In the words of the report, social media is “complicated.” On one hand, we’ve seen the rise of social influencers in recent years, offering a new target for consumer-focused products and services. Consumers generally trust influencers more than traditional editorial coverage or advertising because the influencers’ fans feel it’s a reliable recommendation. But there are also data privacy concerns, which could potentially leave users feeling less inclined to heavily use platforms like Facebook.
On the other hand, journalists rely on social media to stay connected and on top of real-time news. Social data is also an extremely important metric in determining which stories resonate among a journalist’s audience.
As the relationship becomes more complex, it’ll be imperative for journalists to strike the right balance between diversifying social amplification, staying on top of ever-changing algorithms and offering deeper and different perspectives than influencers can offer.
2) Staffing and resources. Newsroom cuts have become commonplace in recent years, presenting challenges for journalists, PR professionals and the thought leaders/expert sources being featured in the media.
With a smaller staff, a newspaper reporter who may have once covered only finance may now have multiple beats that could include finance, education and craft beer. And while this means their knowledge may be wider, it may not be as deep on a particular topic. When this is the case, we’ve found that reporters covering a number of disparate beats often appreciate the client who can help to further educate and inform them on new or unfamiliar territory – which can be key to developing a strong relationship.
We always discuss the importance of understanding a reporter’s beat before pitching. But, it’s just as important to understand their OTHER beats, too, so that sources appreciate how general or nuanced they can be during a discussion.
3) “Fake news.” In the era of “fake news” and the ongoing conversation that surrounds it, readers may be skeptical of what they’re seeing, and more likely to fact check the content. The upswing here, though, is that readers feel increased confidence in the media after fact checking, and trust that the content is legitimate and objective.
One might also argue that consumer demand for more information has contributed to the increase in alternative forms of publishing content through channels like podcasts, which offer additional ways for clients and organizations to be featured as thought leaders.
4) Blurred lines between editorial and advertising. This one can be especially maddening for PR pros. We now often find ourselves in situations where we share a press release with an editor or reporter at a publication, only to receive a response from sales asking if we would like to publish the news as sponsored content. There’s also the occasional issue with native content that reads as though it’s editorial, when in fact, it was paid for by the organization featured. Occasionally, clients will ask how a competitor was so prominently featured in a target publication when the answer is that they paid to be there, even though it’s not apparent to the average reader.
In addition to the ones highlighted in the report, any other challenges you’re seeing?