Securing PR Opportunities in a Changing Media Landscape

By David Barkoe, CEO of Carve Communications

Published January 5, 2023

The past year has seen major changes in the media industry: organizational restructuring, staff reductions, a shift to more independent reporting, and more. Business Insider reports that Gannet laid off six hundred people, The Washington Post has cuts planned within the next year, CNN let hundreds go, Protocol closed, and more.

The media outlook may seem grim, but changes like these aren’t new. There’s always something. 15 years ago, the writing was on the wall for traditional media. Magazines were dying. Viewerships were dropping. And, yet, online media grew.

Through these ups and downs, we have focused on consistently securing PR opportunities for clients – through media and more – to build brand and reach target audiences. There are a few things we have learned over the years to stay relevant in the changing media landscape.

Two things will always hook journalists: relationships and stories.

A company’s success in PR and media boils down to two things: the relationship with the journalist and the power of story. 

First, relationships. Build ones that last; a personal touch can be a powerful relationship builder.  One simple strategy that works in the midst of all the industry changes is checking in with reporters even when you don’t have a story. 

Another is to keep up with them when they move to a new publication — even reaching out with a “good luck” message when they start their new gig. Consider their current interests and how their lives are changing so that you can better understand what will be of interest to them and when. A great way to keep up with this is to subscribe to their newsletters, as many journalists are starting their own, or follow them on social media.

Your ability to tell a story is even more vital, regardless of whether you are pitching a thousand media outlets or just ten. You’ve done your research. You know that you have the right story to resonate with that particular reporter. But why should you run with that story right now? 

Make sure you have a clear reason to justify the journalist’s attention at the moment. Without the story element, the relationship won’t take you far; a journalist can’t run a piece with no value for their audience.

Stay close to how the media outlet restructures. 

Don’t give up on a media outlet just because your favorite writer left. It’s happened to all of us and it will happen again. The media world loves to cover itself so you can always find updates on journalist moves, news outlet restructures, and more. Twitter, for better or worse, is my #1 resource for updates on media moves. 

If the outlet restructured, go to your previous contact’s editor and ask who you should pitch your story to instead. But also explain why it matters for the moment. Think of it like a mini-pitch: “I have an interesting angle on X in light of recent events like Y.” 

It all goes back to story. If it’s strong enough, the editor will direct you to the right reporter and you can make a new relationship. We talk a lot about opportunities at Carve — and this is a prime opportunity to multiply your influence. 

Local, vertical, and niche media represent huge PR opportunities.

For a while, we saw local media pull back because the companies were being bought and consolidated under bigger media companies. Now – along with vertical and industry-specific media – we’re seeing them make a comeback.

The reason why: people still believe in layers of understanding from the media. They get high-level information from top-level outlets, and then dive deeper into those stories with local outlets. How can AI help my Miami car-wash business? You won’t get that from The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal. But you might get it from local and vertical-specific outlets.

As for niche media, one type we’ve seen success with is podcasts. Niche podcasts are similar to trade media. They reach the buyers that live at the bottom of the sales funnel; an outlet doesn’t need millions of listeners to be considered successful in its industry.

You need both owned content and earned media.

As we say, “everything works in concert,” including owned content and PR. We’ve seen alternative outlets like Substack and podcasts become popular ways to distribute owned content. We encourage our clients to create content; PR is a frequency medium, and content helps close the gap in between media coverage. 

It also helps you dive into all the nooks and crannies of your value proposition and expertise, something that’s hard to accomplish through earned media alone. We do this through thought leadership on LinkedIn, blog strategy and execution, podcasts, and more (even comic books!).

At the same time, you need to capitalize on the power and reach of traditional PR opportunities and media relations. Despite an overall decrease in trust in media, they still hold powerful influence over consumers' thoughts and minds, and reporting by a third party will persuade skeptics and drive people to your brand. (This is also why we built up an advocacy marketing division at Carve.)

We’ve seen a lot of changes in the media landscape recently — but like I said, don’t panic. The way the public consumes media changes constantly, so the industry will always evolve to reflect that.

And if you’re still a little worried, I have a resource to help: our monthly newsletter. Every month, we share sustainable PR tips and tricks and creative inspiration. It’s a great place to come back to when the media outlook feels hectic.