What PRs need to know about how news formats are changing
We must invest in widening our skillsets, normalise multimedia pitching and update our media training techniques
The media is a funny beast. Simultaneously both incredibly old-fashioned and desperate to be relevant, media companies are having to constantly adapt in to reach their audiences. And with huge changes to the social media referral model that publishers have relied on for years, we’re currently living through one of the biggest shifts in how news content is created, distributed and consumed.
But what does this mean for PR people now? The short version is that we’ll have to develop new skills and new ways of thinking to make sure that our organisations and clients get the coverage they need.
The Reuters report into journalism, media and technology trends for 2024 provides a good place to start our thinking about what we need to be prioritising as part of a modern media relations strategy. The report looks at various challenges facing newsrooms, but one of the key points is that formats are moving away from the mainstream text-based articles that have been a central pillar of online news for the last 20 years.
Why is this? It’s partly because of the way technology is changing, including better smartphones that provide easier access to platforms that specialise in audio and video creation, discovery, and distribution, such as YouTube and TikTok. And it’s partly because many younger consumers show a preference for using these formats over text – and media companies know they need to be reaching these younger audiences if they’re to stop their figures dropping off a proverbial cliff.
For newsrooms, Reuters believes this will require a significant cultural shift away from text towards multimedia production. Their survey this year suggests most news organisations are planning to produce more video, more podcasts (and more newsletters) in 2024 but broadly the same number of text articles as in the previous year.
They also highlight some key format changes that they think are likely to become commonplace – including vertical video as standard, and podcasts pushing for visual distribution across platforms such as YouTube, as well as in the audio space.
The challenge for PR
This presents various challenges for media relations teams. I’m not going to be the latest person to declare the death of the press release, but a traditional written release by itself isn’t going to cut it any more. PR skillsets will need to expand to include production of video and audio assets as part of media packs, which in turn will require investment into training and equipment.
We will also need to learn to brief for different kinds of media opportunities to those our spokespeople are used to, such as podcast appearances and shortform video content opportunities. It’s worth bearing these alternative formats in mind when you’re looking into media training – what was taught in 2004 isn’t necessarily relevant to 2024.
Pitching multimedia
But there are opportunities, too. Teams who can provide fully multimedia packages will have the edge on competitors when it comes to pitching. This could include using in-house studios to create audio packages or ensuring that we can provide vertical video suitable for use on social platforms.
By understanding the changing formats we can create media content that will reach a broader audience. Reuters stats showed that the vast majority of general public audiences accessed news via a mix of text, video and audio. By targeting all three formats, PR teams can achieve both reach and repetition, which will help with understanding.
And while a lot of attention has been paid to the short attention span nature of shortform video, platforms such as podcasts actually provide an opportunity for more in-depth discussion which can provide PR teams with the opportunity to place speakers in an environment where they can demonstrate their expert knowledge.
Savvy PRs can use the Reuters insight to make sure their brands stay ahead of their competitors. As an industry we need to be ready to change with the times – or find ourselves left behind.
Kat Dibbits is head of communications at the Teenage Cancer Trust and a Chartered PR practitioner.
‘Reputation must be proactively managed, not ignored until a crisis’ – an interview with Kat Dibbits.