 Ken Kerrigan |
Over the past 20 years, more than 3,200 print newspapers were forced to shut their doors, and countless journalists have lost their jobs. If predictions hold true, by this time next year, we will have lost a third of the newspapers that were published in the U.S. in 2005.
But most of you probably already knew that.
The changing media landscape is a tired refrain. But it’s still a problem, especially if you have clients with something to say. In a way, it’s like the old philosophical riddle: “If a tree falls in the forest and there is no one there to hear it, does it make a noise?” Likewise, if a company has something to say, does it get heard if and there are no media to report it?
The answer may be: It depends.
I’d like to think that, like Mark Twain, the reports of the media’s death have been greatly exaggerated. To be sure, the media has changed, but it’s far from dead. However, the reality is that there are fewer outlets for our client’s stories and ideas to be shared.
That’s a problem, but not an insurmountable one. As a profession, we’ve helped redefine how information reaches the public through the creation of content engines, robust online newsrooms and social media activations. That new way of working has altered the model of how we once engaged with the media, but it hasn’t killed it. In a way, it’s part of the ongoing evolution of communications models.
Some of you may be old enough to remember the first song played on MTV: Video Killed the Radio Star. And for a while that was true: Radio was no longer the place where we got our music; videos were. But radio evolved with new syndication models (iHeart Radio and Sirius) and subscription-based platforms (Spotify). It turned out that the content—the songs—was what mattered to stakeholders.
Bill Gates had it right in 1996 when he wrote his essay “Content is King.” As we start a new year—one that promises to be filled with complexity, disinformation and sadly the collapse of more media outlets—keeping our minds sharply focused on the importance of content will be critical.
Public relations professionals have always been pretty good at content creation, including content that speaks directly to stakeholders without the filter of the media. Ironically, the first news release, written by Ivy Lee, was published in its entirety by the New York Times more than 100 years ago. And the content appeared on the paper’s front page.
It’s important to note that many journalists were skeptical about content coming from Lee and others. Some denounced it as advertising. Lee attempted to counter the criticism by issuing his “Declaration of Principles.” He told the media, “This is not an advertising agency. If you think any of our matter ought properly to go to your business office, do not use it.” That principle may be even more relevant today.
There’s a big difference between the content we share as public relations practitioners and content that’s more likely to come from the advertising side of the fence. Here’s my take: public relations content is about selling ideas, whereas advertising copy is most often designed to sell a product.
I’ve spent most of my career working with some of the world’s most respected professional services firms. Their business model is all about sharing ideas. Some call it thought leadership or insights—shared across all sorts of mediums—but at the end of the day, it’s all about engaging content. Content largely driven by the function of public relations.
However, the creation of ideas-driven, engaging content is more complex than ever. Shaping impactful ideas requires a duality that embraces both data science and an understanding of human behavior. But engaging content must still be done with the credibility and ethos of the journalistic model.
Herb Schmertz, the legendary head of communications for Mobil Oil, pioneered this idea with his paid opinion pieces for Mobil in the New York Times back in the 1970s. And that content stirred a great deal of engagement, allowing Mobil to speak directly to its stakeholders in transparent and meaningful ways.
So, as we enter a new year, all of us have an opportunity to ensure that public relations remains a standard bearer of transparent and trusted information. If we want the ideas of our clients, organizations or even ourselves to be shared, heard and acted upon, we need to start with engaging, transparent content. Afterall, content is king. It always has been.
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Ken Kerrigan is SVP and Professional Services Co-Practice Lead at The Bliss Group.
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