The state of journalism and the public relations industry is evolving. From citizen bloggers to 24-hour news, many trends are changing the way people consume and interact with media.
The accelerating pace means it can be difficult for journalists and PR professionals to keep up. To help professionals stay abreast of all the latest developments, Mynewsdesk has created an e-book called Navigating Change. We hope the ebook will provide PR professionals with some insights on how to work more effectively with media outreach.
How to create a sustainable business model in the news media industry
One of the biggest challenges news publishers face is how to make money from news media. Print circulation has been in decline for many years. While digital news consumption is widespread, only 3% of consumers in the United Kingdom, Germany and France and 8% of users in the United States are prepared to pay for it. The only bright spot is the Nordic region where Denmark (10%), Sweden (12%) and Norway (15%) tend to have higher digital subscription rates than other countries.
Media outlets are experimenting with native advertising. And online subscription rates have been on the rise in countries like the US and Scandinavia. However, research shows that close to 70% of journalists still worry that independent news organizations will not be financially viable in the future. Consumers’ reluctance to engage with digital news subscription services is one reason. The remaining conundrum is how the media industry can create a sustainable business model.
A crisis of trust in journalism
Another major challenge facing journalists is the recent “fake news” scandal. Trust in journalism is very low. According to journalists, over half say the news media is no longer trusted as a reliable source of information. And 53% believe that fake news is an intractable long-term problem. Meanwhile, the public complains that the news is too negative and say they avoid it because it has a bad effect on their mood. “Navigating Change” presents a clear picture of the current crisis of trust in modern news media and provides some prescriptive advice on how communicators can rebuild trust.
Branding and journalism
One way to create sustainable business models in journalism is for news reporters to work with brands. Not all journalists are comfortable putting their skills to work on behalf of a brand, but others are interested. The e-book “Navigating Change” gives interesting statistics and information about the relationship between journalists and brands’ PR departments. However you feel about working with brands as a journalist, you can’t afford to miss out on learning about this important industry trend. If you work in PR, you will learn how to improve your outreach to journalists, including learning how to find the right freelance writer to work with your brand.
Recommendations for navigating change
There are several ways that PR professionals and journalists can navigate change in this fast-paced industry. These include consistently creating high-quality content, building trust with consumers, and experimenting with new technologies and digital media. The “Navigating Change” e-book advises how to adopt all these strategies for surviving and thriving in the modern age of news media.
Secure your future in news media
Many worrying trends affect the future of the news media, including fake news and a lack of consumer trust. Many journalists also worry that a few big media platforms, such as Facebook and YouTube, have too much power. However, maybe the need for quality journalism has never been greater than it is today.
As Martin Schibbye, Chief Editor of the Blank Spot Project, believes, “I’d say what we see is a crisis of an old business model. There is no crisis for journalism as such. On the contrary, the interest for reporting, for people who have their boots on the ground, who use their feet and not only Google – the interest in that kind of journalism is greater than ever.”
Find out how these problems may affect your career in journalism or PR. And learn what you can do to secure your future. Download the Mynewsdesk “Navigating Change” e-book today.
