Is the Role of Media Relations Pros Growing?

Newsroom staffs across the country continue to shrink as media companies lay off reporters and editors in an effort to either stay in business or maintain current profit levels.

It’s too bad for the cities in which those layoffs are occurring, but it’s also a reflection of declining circulation numbers and decreasing ad revenues.  It may also represent the public’s growing skepticism between news and opinion and its ability to differentiate between the two.

One thing the staff shortages do is make the media relations pro even more valuable to his or her agency, clients or communications department.

With reporters having to do more to fill newspapers’ pages – their reliance on trusted sources is at an all-time high.

Providing reporters with materials written in AP style, having sources readily available versus having to track them down and knowing the specific needs of a reporter on any given story will only increase the value of PR pros.

Bombarding reporters and editors with irrelevant pitches and news releases is becoming even more of a disservice.  It’s more important now than ever for media relations pros to do their homework and be a help rather than a hinderance.