Posts Tagged ‘newspapers’
Newspapers still drive local news
Have you ever noticed that as you listen to the radio during your morning commute that Brooke Ryan might refer to a news item and later when you are out to lunch you see the same story headline in the newspaper that was lying on your table? This phenomenon of local news being driven by the research and reporting of local newspapers is documented in a report from Pew Research.
…But a new study by the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism, …suggests that while the news landscape has rapidly expanded, most of what the public learns is still overwhelmingly driven by traditional media—particularly newspapers.
The study, which examined all the outlets that produced local news in Baltimore, Md., for one week, surveyed their output and then did a closer examination of six major narratives during the week, finds that much of the “news” people receive contains no original reporting. Fully eight out of ten stories studied simply repeated or repackaged previously published information. more
Last year as ad revenue declined, we saw our area newspapers shift to more local content. The shift was happening all across the country.
The research from the Pew Foundation tells us that we are right to have some concern about the changes.
Pew notes, “The local papers, however, are also offering less than they once did.” That is because there is less ad revenue. Newspapers can only print what they can pay for. As one area editor shared with me his publisher said, “That’s a great story idea, but if we don’t have ad revenue to support an additional page, we can’t print it.” However, in the meantime, random column inches here and there contain uninteresting blurbs like the one in today’s Post and Courier, “Shed damaged by fire, no one injured.” That’s a news story?
The Pew study also confirms that the web is the first place of publication and an alert system. In addition there is another interesting tidbit in the study that we PR people have known, media releases are often the source of much of the information contained in the newspaper.
The takeaway from this is:
- Newspaper journalism is important as the foundational source for most local news
- Original stories have declined
- Well crafted media releases may be used to place news because there are fewer journalists with less time and column inches to give to originally sourced stories.
So, it is the job of public relations professionals to craft news worthy well written items for our media colleagues use and consumption. There is an even greater chance that your firm’s news will end up right where you want it to be.
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Posted in marketing, public relations, social media | 
Tags: journalism, new media, newspapers, Pew, research
Pew Internet & American Life Project News Source Information
In the latest update to the Pew Internet & American Life Project surveys show that there are disparities in how several segments take up news. Older consumers are still with newspapers and those less than 35 are consuming news online. However there is a new class of what the survey calls ‘integrators’ who use both online and traditional news sources such as television and newspaper. According to the survey they are more educated and wealthy.
Marketers must now realize that internet is a major component of an integrated campaign and seek ways to embed that into the client’s campaign.
Add in public relations and the opportunity to gain earned media in diverse ways and you can build a real landslide of information about the client directed to their consumers.
The key is understanding the consumer’s behaviors and then building an integrated mix including PR that reaches them.
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Posted in marketing |
Tags: Internet; Pew Survey, marketing, newspapers, PR, public relations, television
Newspaper Ad Revenue Slide
Today’s New York Times reports of the continued slide in newspaper advertising revenues which are down 12% for the year and more than that for May. The most concerning aspect of this report is the fact that those who are charged with understanding the direction of the slide admit to under-rating the velocity of change downward.
“Never in my most bearish dreams six months ago did I think we’d be talking about negative 15 percent numbers against weak comps,” said Peter S. Appert, an analyst at Goldman Sachs. “I think the probability is very high that there will be a number of examples of individual newspapers and newspaper companies that fall into a loss position. And I think it’s inevitable that there will be closures in this industry, and maybe bankruptcies.”
Furthermore,
Declining sales of printed papers and rising newsprint prices have also hurt the business.
Our own Charleston Post and Courier just switched to a smaller width newsprint.
Online ad revenues are reported to have climbed in prior years but to be falling off in the current year, however, they are still advancing against print placement revenue.
The voices of the blogger, the Twitterer and online readers are heard electronically. I wonder if there is a drop off in the volume of letters to the editor since now, we don’t need a print forum?
Do you think newspapers will be successful in selling subscriptions for online versions? The Post and Courier is trying to do that. I wonder how many people will sign up for that? Advertisers get to display their ads as part of the online system for the Post and Courier, but one has to know that the ads are in the shopping section. You would think that the ads might be labeled as “To see ads from today’s paper, click here.” Now, you have to just know that you click shopping to find the ads.
With regard to selling online subscriptions of newspapers, remember what mothers of the 1950s said? “If you give away the milk, who wants to buy the cow?” I wonder, is it the same here?
Tell me, do you read the local newspaper where you live? Follow this link to an on-line survey. Click Here to take survey
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Posted in Uncategorized |
Tags: advertising, Charleston South Carolina, newspaper reader, newspapers, Post and Courier
Thought Revolutions
Revolutions don’t come overnight. They are the climax of incremental changes in perspective that sneak up on you. Until one day you realize that there is another way of doing things.
For several years I have supplemented my daily reading of my local newspaper the Post and Courier (gotta know whose doing what and where and why and see the pics and get the newsprint on my hands) with online professional readings. They come from many sources. I particularly like Ad Age, Marketing Sherpa and a few more. I also am an avid reader of news headlines and news videos on Yahoo!. I love the ease of seeing the vid, clicking, reading the story for more information. Google News is my go to for alerts on any kind of breaking information by client name, sector or issue. Although I am addicted to printed information, I find online sources are most immediate and I expect to get the latest news NOW.
The lust for the NOW has changed the way newspapers format themselves. People want more local news on their front pages knowing that they can get national, breaking news all day either on their phone or computer. And even though I know evening news broadcasts have their audience, for most, the best channel is either one to one through social networking sites or RSS.
However, all this being true and being of a certain age, I will still be a holdout for holding the printed word. My spouse loves his e-books on his PDA. I like the heft of the book which I borrow from the library. (Sorry authors, I would rather read and return.) If it changes my perspective on the world, I will buy and keep the book. The only volumes I seem to keep are those of poetry. So, I am a hold-out for print too, being of the Baby Boom generation.
The NOW of advertising and communication is all digital as far as I can see. What about you? Do you see the same NOW? Many argue that we still need mass media. The recent campaigns I’ve organized using newsprint, commercial radio and television have generated impact for clients but how long will it be before it’s all one to one, on demand? I say it’s NOW. The revolution is done. It happened while we were changing channels.
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Posted in advertising |
Tags: Charleston South Carolina, death of mass media, delivery, mass media, news, newspapers, radio, television
