New media, new media relations: Building relationships with bloggers, citizen journalists and engaged publics

Abstract

The Internet has impacted news media outlets and trade publications. Some print publications and broadcasts have either moved entirely online or created a companion website. Individual writers, staff, and contributors, as well as the publications themselves, interact with readers and publish content via social media. Sometimes social media platforms, like blogs, are the exclusive publishing platform used by a publication or writer. In other cases, media outlets have developed entirely online, without affiliation to a traditional or offline media outlet. The impact of the Internet on traditional news outlets has been widely dis-cussed and analyzed, especially the sustainability of print news media. The constant need for content creation on a 24/7 publication cycle, information overload and fatigue, and the audience’s ability to prioritize information have been cited as concerns. Reaching readers in a saturated environment and cutting through the clutter are other problems that affect online media outlets, as well as public relations practitioners looking to gain earned content via placement in online media outlets. The accessibility and affordability of online content delivery platforms has contributed to a diminishing distinction between professional and amateur media outlets. Online publishing and design have become easier and more accessible, giving individuals with a range of experience and backgrounds the opportunity to create online publications and sites that are virtually indistinguishable from professional sites. As more broadcast and print media outlets develop an online presence,activities like pitching stories to reporters, developing and distributing press releases, and measurement and evaluation of media coverage, have been updated, optimized, or reinvented. As the media landscape and the definition of media continues to evolve, public relations practitioners have worked to adapt traditional approaches and techniques to the new online media environment. However, traditional media outlets are only one segment of the online media landscape. In this unprecedented time of self-publication, top news outlets are sometimes user-created blogs, and the creators of news coverage can be citizen journalists, “accidental amateurs,” or fans. Engaged publics are creating, publishing, and distributing their own content and news via social media and in some cases redefining the concept of media outlets. There are many newopportunities for generating earned content, but the process, practices, and assumptions about traditional media relations must evolve, too. Using mass media theories and the Accredited in Public Relations’ (APR) Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) for media relations, this chapter will examine “new” media relations for social media, participatory culture, and engaged publics. Relevant issues and techniques will be analyzed and discussed, and examples of successful efforts will be presented.