News media have undergone enormous changes in the 21st century, thanks to the omnipresence of the internet and digital communications. Getting a significant media relations “hit” on the internet can generate worldwide coverage. But those kinds of hits are rare and require significant news value to obtain.
Sure, it’s great to get recognition from all over the nation—or the world—but how valuable is that coverage to you if your primary geographic market or audience is local?
News consumption has changed…but people are still interest in news
Interestingly, the prestigious Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world, points out that as news consumption habits become more digital, U.S. adults continue to see value in local outlets.
What makes local news outlets valuable is that even as print media circulation and local TV news audiences have shrunk, thanks to the internet, overall local coverage has expanded.
Take a glance at the chart in the article and you can see for yourself just how people have shifted in how and where they get their news.
Just how important is local media coverage?
With consumer readership for local news shifting to digital, it is easy to discount the importance of local news.
That’s because we live in in a time when people can access a seemingly limitless array of content from anywhere in the world. People can access platforms ranging from to mainstream news organizations that rely on the accuracy of their information to social media sites riddled with falsehoods and opinion.
But don’t discount community news. Local news, and especially quality journalism, continues to play a crucial role in keeping citizens informed about what’s happening immediately around them—a service that other platforms struggle to match. Local news can also serve as a springboard for coverage in larger-circulation mainstream media. And remember, local news outlets have their own websites and actively promote readership to their individual audiences.
Local news serves as a news backbone for community information
Local news outlets act as the first responders to breaking stories. They provide comprehensive coverage on wide-ranging topics—from politics and crime to health and lifestyle. They give citizens the knowledge needed to make informed decisions about issues affecting their communities, like city council meetings and school board elections, and critical issues like housing, education, and public safety.
Local news outlets provide news coverage that will never show up in the 80 hours of the same headlines across dayparts that you see on national news programs.
Coverage includes local news that relates directly to their local audience, ranging from community and neighborhood activities and individual resident achievements and local sports coverage.
Wellons Communications knows how to handle to local media relations
Sure, everyone wants their product or service to headline Fox News, CNN and NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt.
The reality, however, is that consumer product or service marketing rarely has qualities that are going to compete with daily headlines about politics, disasters, celebrities, and strange or unusual events.
Realizing that, our PR firm takes aim at local news outlets and provides them with local angles they use to create stories to share with their readers, viewers and listeners.
We possess the know-how and tools to reach into newsrooms and pitch stories that appeal and make sense to news directors and key editorial staff…and, in fact, our team members have spent part of their careers fielding PR pitches (both good and bad).
Learn more about how we can look for ways to put you in the news…. whether it is digital, broadcast or print. Call us at 407-339-0879 or email us at will@wellonscommunications.com and let’s start making media relations work for you.