Giving thanks for journalists and local news outlets in a difficult year of news reporting

As PR professionals, an inalienable truth of our work is that we cannot be successful without the help of reporters, journalists, bloggers and news media.

We build relationships with media members because we need them. Yes, we rely on journalists for valued coverage, but also for information, guidance and greater insight into what’s going on in our communities.

This year, we needed journalists more than ever before to help us understand COVID-19, its resulting impacts, and how to combat the disease. We needed journalists to shine a light on the social injustices occurring across our country and document how communities were responding. And we needed journalists to report and provide analysis on one of the most intense election years in our country’s history.

I just got a random message from a friend saying thank you for bringing the news to people. And recognizing it must be hard right now. I didn’t know I needed that. But I definitely did.

So to all the essential workers and journalists out there: thank you. It’s not easy.

— Ariel Van Cleave (@avcsays) November 16, 2020