The changing role of the media in PR

It’s becoming easier for brands to control their own destinies through blogging and content marketing, but journalism still plays a major role in the process.

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Though it doesn’t always seem equal if you’re a PR pro trying to get a story in a major media outlet, you would be worse off without access to the various news media.

How much might that change in the future? Will local newspapers be just as important to the PR pros of 2020 and beyond, or will the digital age change everything? Will all this media training go to waste? Let’s look at both scenarios and imagine possible futures with and without media and PR interaction.

With

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Although traditional media outlets such as newspapers are slowly going by the wayside, the role of media in public relations will stay the same. You will still have to talk to reporters and butter them up, and you will suffer for hours trying to figure out the best way to phrase your press release.

Why? Because journalism—the “fourth estate”—is an esteemed necessary part of a free country. Journalists have a saying: “Write about what they’re not telling you.” They consider it their job to speak truth to power and find out the real story. Sometimes that will involve talking to you.

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