Recently I was asked to speak to a group of fundraisers about trends in communication and how non-profit organizations – large and small – might benefit. As I was thinking about what I might say, a colleague shared a story with me, and the headline caught my attention. It read: We’re All in the Media Business Now. It was striking because it not only gave me the topic for my presentation, it also solidified one of D+P’s 2024 goals.
Some background. As everyone knows, the traditional media landscape is shrinking – quickly and dramatically. Not a day goes by where we are not seeing more newspapers closing, more journalists laid off or more consolidation and bankruptcies announced. Through the first 11 months of 2023, newsrooms shed 2,681 jobs, according to the placement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. That figure doesn’t include the approximately 240 jobs that the Washington Post eliminated in December. And the new year has started with reports of possible shakeups at the Los Angeles Times and the Baltimore Sun.
These changes are regrettable because they not only impact our business but also impact our communities. Yet, there is hope as the headline saying “We’re All in the Media Business Now” announced. Like it or not, we all truly are or must become part of the media business. Not in the most traditional sense but in an opportunistic way. We now have the opportunity like at no other time in recent history to develop compelling content which drives action.
A robust content strategy allows you to cover yourself in the way you want to be covered. It allows you to tell the stories you want to be told and on the timeline you control. And with the right distribution and engagement strategy, a content strategy allows you to reach the people that you need to reach with compelling, targeted news, print and video stories. This allows you to inform and energize your key audiences that over time can help you achieve your goal of advancing your business or non-profit objectives.
We don’t foresee a time when media relations are no longer part of a PR strategy. But the numbers don’t add up anymore to making it the only, or even, primary part.
D+P made this shift about three years ago when we hired our first Chief Content Officer. He is a former AP senior editor and chief communications officer for a Fortune 500 company. Since that time, we have invested heavily in people and resources to develop not only compelling written but also video content for clients. And, while some clients have enthusiastically joined this new journey with us; others have been more hesitant. So, as we begin 2024, our goal will be to move even more aggressively into content that builds your brand. We will develop content that drives eyeballs to our clients’ websites, blogs, social media sites and video downloads. Welcome to the media business!
Email us at resteasy@devinepartners.com to see how the Devine + Partners team can support your goals this year and beyond. To stay updated with other industry insights and D+P happenings, join our email list.
Devine + Partners is a public relations agency based in Philadelphia. We offer a full range of communications services – from message and content development and media relations to issues management and employee and community engagement.
