Why media relations is alive and well

Some say that the print’s decline, along with the rise of online content, is a death knell for the strategy. One PR pro argues that current trends make journalist outreach even more important. 

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Citing a decline in print media, an increase in brand and news media partnerships and a rise in content marketing, some experts say that PR pros rely too heavily on building rapport with reporters.

I disagree with this conclusion.

To the contrary, those points reinforce the necessity for the practice. Here’s why:

Print media’s decline

Though circulation numbers, newsroom staff and number of publications with print editions steadily decline, blogs—along with online and mobile versions of publications—continue to grow their audiences.

Traditional media relations doesn’t just mean pitching stories to print magazines and newspapers—bloggers, influential social media users and reporters who write for online publications require love, too.

Media relations isn’t rocket science, but it takes communications savvy, excellent writing, established relationships and elbow grease to be successful. Most brands don’t have an internal staff to dedicate the time toward proper media relations, and many outsource to a firm that specializes in media relations as a cost-effective solution.

An increase in brand/news media partnerships

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