Filed under: newspapers, PR Tips | Tags: newspapers, PR, publicity, Suburban Newspaper Association, The Printed Blog
Is print news dead? It’s a question everyone asks these days, from prominent bloggers to television talk show hosts to Time magazine.
The news does appear grim. Detroit’s daily papers, in print since the mid- to late-1800s, have slashed home delivery to three days a week. In Minneapolis, a daily newspaper published since 1867 recently declared bankruptcy. Others have threatened to file, as ad revenues plummet and double-digit profits that once kept them buoyant are sucked into that giant black hole called “pay per click.” But to paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of the newspaper’s death have been greatly exaggerated. Two under-reported stories hammer home the point that newspapers are not dying. Poorly run newspaper companies are.
Consider the case of Joshua Karp, entrepreneur, whose start-up community newspaper reprints blogs written by people local to Chicago and San Francisco. Karp has latched on to the idea that people will read a print newspaper if it is a) all local, b) filled with interesting stories and c) created by writers who know their communities. On-line or off-line, content is king. Always. Always. Always.
The Printed Blog model literally puts readers in charge. They select the bloggers they most enjoy, and those are the folks whose work ends up in print. While some traditionalists might dismiss blogs as dangerously biased and inaccurate, these are local voices, discussing local topics of interest. Bloggers have broken news stories, published detailed, critical analyses of national election returns, probed the dark recesses of local government and carried with them the cleansing light of public scrutiny. Perhaps the time has passed for dismissing this integral element of on-line culture, although bringing bloggers into print would seem to eliminate one of the most compelling aspects of the trade: immediacy.
Still, this kind of publication may well appeal to those who have not embraced the Internet, but remain interested in their local communities. The Printed Blog plans neighborhood distribution, so even those who have no computer at all (if such people exist) will be able to enjoy reading some of the most local news and views available.
Will readers pick up on this new kind of print publication? Probably, at first. The model looks sustainable. Whether it survives will depend entirely on – say it with me, people – content. For proof, look no further than another story released by the Suburban Newspapers of America.
Announcing third quarter financial results for member newspapers, SNA reported that “community newspapers are not experiencing the massive ad revenue declines that are being felt by some others in the industry. And they are not reducing staff in significant ways. In fact, 83% of the reporting companies had no planned staff reductions in 2008.”
The New York Times article about The Printed Blog reported something local newspaper owners have known for a long time, that advertisers will pay much more for print ads than on-line ads. Why? Because newspapers have more than just “page views.”
According to the National Newspaper Association, in 2008, nearly half of all Americans read a newspaper on an average weekday, and readership is heavily weighted toward people over 35 years old, with higher incomes and a higher level of education. They’re folks who have a wide array of resources available to them, and include print publications in their research for purchasing decisions.
More than ever, people are looking to shop local, to support their local merchants and economies in difficult times. They’re eating closer to home, shopping closer to home, being entertained closer to home. And local newspapers bring them information about their hometowns. That’s why your local story should be in those pages. You will have to be careful of two things: What stories you pitch, and how you pitch them.
Here are a few tips that will give you the edge with your community editor:
> Often, a community newspaper editor heads up a staff of just one or two people. These publications are more likely to publish your release in its original form, word for word, so be particularly vigilant – double check important details. Also, if your press release is time-sensitive, call ahead to find out about deadlines and submit well in advance.
> Your hometown newspaper needs interesting stories, so give some thought to the ones you might tell. Does your business have a connection with local history? Is one of your employees raising funds for a charity? Have you got a customer or client who’s doing something extraordinary? Think and provide information generously.
> Consider using a story “pitch,” rather than a press release. A few who-what-when-where-why facts will save time, while effectively communicating your story idea. (Always remember to include your best contact number, times you are available, email address, Web site, etc. Be available!)
> Always find a way to say “thank you” when an editor places your story. A phone call, a cheery note, even a quick e-mail can go a long way. Remember, this isn’t just public relations. You’re building public relationSHIPS.
Tips are excerpted from Worth Every Penny: PR basics for business owners who don’t have the time to drink a cup of coffee – or the money to buy one. (Learn more and download an excerpt.)
SOURCES:
Free newspaper venture depends on local blogs
Community newspapers doing better than everyone else
NNA: Why Newspapers? (2008) (PDF)
Shop local trend helps boost holiday sales for some Greer retailers
Shop local push buoys area businesses
Local small business owners hope trend of shopping local continues in new year
New local businesses brave the economy
Filed under: newspapers, PR Tips | Tags: community, contact, Detroit, editor, Help a Reporter Out, Media, Michigan, newspaper, Peter Shankman, public relations, publicity, reporter
This post was going to be about the mind of an editor. I used to be one, so I know a little more about the topic than your average Jane.
But this morning, I got an e-mail from a friend and former office mate who is looking for work. Until today, she was a reporter working for Hometown Newspapers, a Gannett-owned chain in the Detroit, Michigan area. You may remember that in December, the Detroit Media Partnership (Detroit Free Press, owned by Gannett, and Detroit News, owned by MediaNews Group) announced it would be cutting back home delivery of both dailies to three days a week. At the time, Hometown employees were told it would be business as usual for them. Now Hometown’s entertainment section, Filter, and it’s fashion page, Pink, are gone, along with my friend’s job.
When I got the latest news, I thought, if this is “business as usual,” somebody’s got a strange sense of humor. But for today’s newspapers, lay-offs, cutbacks and economies of scale will likely be just that, at least in the forseeable future. The editors and reporters I know say they are literally white-knuckling through this, just hoping to keep their jobs.
Here’s where we come in, those of us who are promoting clients or our own businesses. With limited resources, offices consolidating and a general sense of fear gripping the industry, our hometown newspapers need help, and we can do them a huge favor, by becoming news hounds. I’m not talking about wearing a faux reporter hat, you haven’t got that kind of time. But you could be a kind of community “Deep Throat.”
As your neighbors are chatting about how the latest local tax increase has affected their lives, recruit some who are willing to be interviewed – then pass along those contacts to the local editor. Pay attention to the conversation among parents at your child’s school, to what your pastor talks about from the pulpit and what your favorite local coffee shop owner or regulars are talking about. Share those thoughts the next time you’re pitching a story or calling to request a back copy for your files.
What’s in it for you? Every contact leads to a more nuanced relationship, and that’s the kind of relationship you want with media. You’ll create a reputation for being helpful, informative and – this is the important part – an authority about your community.
Don’t be a pest about it. And, of course, don’t forget to first share interesting stories about your business or your clients. But you can become an editor’s or a reporter’s best friend.
And trust me, these days, those folks need all the friends they can find.
P.S. Another FANTASTIC way to help reporters all around the country is by signing up for Peter Shankman’s Help A Reporter Out emails. They show up a few times a day with requests filed by reporters looking for sources. It’s great exposure for your business or clients, Peter writers very entertaining e-mails and believe me, the reporters are more than grateful for the help. Check out the HARO Web site.
Filed under: PR Tips | Tags: Media, newspapers, press releases, public relations, story pitches
After 20 years in journalism, I thought I’d seen every kind of press release gimmick ever invented. Odd-shaped packing boxes, fancy papers, paper dolls,scratch-n-sniff (from a cookie maker, thank goodness), every size and shape of envelope you can imagine. Then one morning, I opened a press release that mooed.
Mooooooooo, the minute I removed the mailing tube cap. It was cute, I played with it for weeks, but I never used the press release. Though very well written and printed on high quality stationery, it had nothing to do with anything or anyone of interest to me. I toss… er, recycled 40 or 50 like it every week, because I barely had enough of a news hole for the stories our reporters submitted. It wasn’t always that way, there was a time when local newspapers published verbatim information supplied by local businesses, garden clubs, Boy Scout troops. Unfortunately, those days are gone, and now, it’s time to face the facts about print media: Traditional press releases and traditional distribution methods have become a tremendous waste of time. There are exceptions, of course, but the best gift you could give yourself in 2009 is to stop worrying about writing and sending out press releases.
Here’s a simpler way to solicit media attention that’s less likely to end up in an editor’s recycling bin: Pitch an interesting story. For decades, freelance writers have been sending editors something called a “pitch” to snag assignments. These simple narrative pieces don’t take much time to write, and they provide a valuable service to editors. With fewer people on staff, they’ll consider it a blessing when a solid story idea comes to THEM.
Keep your pitch very simple:
a. Introduction: Include a little information about yourself and explain your local connection.
b. Body: In no more than one or two paragraphs, sketch out the story. Include who, what, when and where, but most importantly, why this will be of interest to the newspaper’s readers.
c. Conclusion: Politely offer to assist the editor, if he or she wishes to cover the story, and provide complete contact information (e-mail, phone number, best time to call).
One more thing: Don’t be discouraged if your pitch isn’t “caught”. The next might, or the one after that. Or the editor may be working on a different staff-generated story and tap your expertise in that area. The point is, you’ve made a contact, and you’ve done it in an effective and professional manner.
Always think of PR not as public relations, but positive relationships. And remember, no bull.
To learn more, check out my e-book: Worth Every Penny. It really is…
Up next: What was that editor thinking?
