2008 may be the year that we saw the passing of an era. For the last several years PR professionals and others have closely followed the occasional news reports of staff cuts at the nation’s large and small newspapers. We have known that we are experiencing change in American journalism.
Yet for the last several years even as staffs were cut, someone always has been at the end of the phone when we called a daily paper. That “someone” was usually a senior beat reporter with 20 years of experience who was able to know a good story, report and write it to fit into an ever-shrinking news hole.
But it may be that we remember 2008 as the year when it all changed. As buyouts and cutbacks escalate and thin the ranks of American journalism – some counts say more than 6,000 positions have been eliminated so far this year-- we are witnessing the loss of some of the nation’s most knowledgeable journalists. Lawrence Downes recently commented in the New York Times, “As newspapers lose money and readers, they have been shedding great swaths of expensive expertise.”
Growing numbers of senior reporters, editors and columnists are leaving mainstay dailies like the Washington Post, the New York Times and the McClatchy and Gannett papers. Reporters that remain at papers like the Wall Street Journal are being reassigned to entirely new beats or double beats. The shift is sudden and increasingly dramatic.
To fill the gap, editors are turning to freelancers, or dropping coverage altogether. As one top section editor of a major national newspaper said when we asked if someone on the editor’s staff might be interested in a story, “Staff? I have no staff. I have two people and a bunch of freelancers.”
This shift is changing the content of stories that American read. Editors are often forced to set aside well-researched stories on tough topics to cover expedient stories written quickly on short turn-around. Recently a major industry reporter with more than 10 years tenure responded to our query, “Sure I think this is an interesting story, and it should be covered. But it will take me three days to research and report, and my editor won’t let me take that much time any more.”
What does this mean if we want to participate in thoughtful dialog on critical issues? How do we have a dialog when the most experienced journalists are no longer there to chronicle the discussion?
Certainly new media, the catalyst for this evolution, are part of the solution. Organizations will always need to engage with their stakeholders, and many see a boon in the ability to have that conversation with customers directly. At VOLLMER we love seeing company leaders risking open, honest dialog with customers in creative new ways – they are almost always handsomely rewarded for their transparency.
In some cases it is time to rethink traditional media roles. Who says you can’t create and distribute your own content? What do you have to offer in this brave new world that people want to know? The barriers to entry are surprisingly low, and the potential is yet unknown.
And for those who believe a story in a national daily newspaper is still a gold standard of PR, it is time to do what we do differently. Now, more than ever, we need to focus on what journalists need to do their jobs:
- In this environment even the best reporters don’t have time to connect many dots. We must help connect research, summarize and offer links to supporting material.
- Don’t just talk about your best attributes; provide simple, direct access for journalists to see those attributes being demonstrated.
- Remember that the number of stories that are making it into print is shrinking – offer up your best and leave the routine press releases to online distribution.
Recently we happened to catch a veteran Washington Post reporter on the day that she and her editor took the buyout. When I jokingly asked, “Who am I gonna call now?” she only half-jokingly replied, “Beats me. We were just sitting around the newsroom speculating that it won’t be long before there is no one left to pick up the phone when you guys call.”
While no one yet believes the Washington Post will disappear, it was a jolt to the system. The good news is that she will continue freelancing. The unbelievable news? She’s going into PR.
(Excerpted from the Council of PR Firm’s The Firm Voice)
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