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Volume 12, Issue 2
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The Impact of Social Media on News in 2009
by Martha Sharan
There is no question that today’s social media is responsible for a dramatic change in the relationship between those who produce the news and those who subscribe to it. No longer are subscribers defined as non-journalists who simply get the news by reading newspapers, watching television or listening to reports on radio.
Today, consumers of news are also gatherers of news: they participate in creating it, capturing it, and disseminating it.
The news industry began to see this evolution with the popularity of social networking sites like YouTube and Facebook. First, they seemed to be venues for entertainment and gossip, but soon they began to develop into sources of information, providing eyewitness accounts during sporting events, natural disasters, and street protests.
Acknowledging the value of blogs, Facebook, YouTube, MySpace, and now, Twitter, the majority of radio newsrooms are now using some form of social media to advance and broadcast their news stories.
In our recent survey of 50 radio newsrooms in the top 50-markets, we learned that:
- Nearly half of respondents (45%) use Twitter and Facebook, primarily to offer their technologically savvy audiences an extension of conventional radio and provide another broadcast platform;
- Thirty percent of respondents believe that keeping pace with technology and using social media builds listenership loyalty and goes a long way towards keeping fans tuned-in to their car radios during morning or afternoon drive, when they can’t access their iPhones or laptops; and
- The majority of reporters in radio newsrooms (56%) rely on social media for story leads from “citizen journalists,” and 34% say social media not only provides leads – ideas that can potentially be developed into news stories – but can also provide possible sources of information – an expert or witness who can shed light on a particular subject being investigated or researched for news stories.
But with the benefits of social media, come some reservations as well. Producers and reporters fear:
- Raw, unfiltered fragments of information – 100% of the news operations we surveyed said accuracy and credibility are a top priority and the words, pictures, or video of “citizen journalists” must be double and triple-checked against reliable sources;
- Speed will replace accuracy – 100% of the newsrooms we surveyed said, they do not believe social media will ever replace mainstream media, but in the competitive environment of trying to be the first to break news or broadcast the “exclusive,” fact may give way to fiction, and the loss of trust is very difficult to rebuild for a news organization; and
- Hidden political, social and moral agenda’s may find their way into the news to influence public opinion – 100% of the news reporters and producers we surveyed say social media, like Twitter, are important in getting news out of countries like Iran that control media, but, whose tweets do you believe? Dramatic scenes can be manipulated by citizens, just as they can be manipulated by governments or other powers.
For the public, social media appears to mean the free flow of more information, but to news organizations surveyed, it can also mean sorting through more rumor and clamor to avoid misinformation.
Pitching NPR: Tips for Garnering Air Time
by Lynn Harris Medcalf
We are often asked, “How do you pitch stories to National Public Radio?” People listen to National Public Radio and hear some interesting stories and think their clients would be a perfect fit. If only pitching NPR was that easy! NPR is one of radio media relations’ toughest nuts to crack. But while it may be harder to pitch NPR than other outlets, there are some tips that may yield success in garnering public radio airtime.
Pitch More Than One Reporter. National Public Radio prides itself on its rich news reporting operation. It has many types of talk shows and beat reporters who cover a wide range of issues. From the short newscasts to the longer form interviews in Talk of the Nation, Fresh Air or All Things Considered, NPR provides an abundant array of different types of topics that can work on air. So if you get a no from one reporter in one area, tweak your pitch with a little twist and try someone else. You can even ask the producer or reporter who has turned you down, if there is anyone else he or she would recommend who might be interested in the story. Be tenacious; there are a lot of places your story might work. A lot of legwork can go a long way!
Keep it Timely. As with most pitching, the most important element is timeliness. If you are able to pitch a client’s story that is related to a news topic currently being covered and provide a spokesperson quickly, when NPR needs him, the chance that you’ll get on the air increases greatly. Having to go back to your client and reconfirm with NPR’s reporters or producers will often turn them off, so know who you have available and be sure the spokesperson will make time for the interview when NPR wants it. Be sure to tell reporters you’re pitching why the story is important now and make sure this element of your pitch is strong so you can really grab them.
Use the Element of Surprise. Right on NPR’s website, it says that the network loves the element of surprise in story pitches: “Like all journalists, we are looking for true stories, events or people that present something new, important and interesting to a nationwide audience.” So if you have something unique, highlight that novel or unusual aspect of your story to really pique NPR’s interest.
Make Sure Your Audience is National. If your story has more of a local or regional angle that would appeal to one geographic area over another, pitch your local NPR station first rather than NPR nationally. When a story gets local coverage, there’s always a chance the local reporter will feed your story to the network for national coverage.
Keep It Short and Sweet. Remember, your initial pitch should be only about a paragraph if you’re emailing it. If you are leaving a voice mail message, get to the point in 10 seconds. And remember, don’t bury the lead. Lead off with the most important information first. Really grab the reporter’s attention first, and then fill in the specifics after you have him or her hooked. Don’t send attachments, but feel free to imbed links in an email. Give the reporter context though, about why he or she should click on the link for more information.
Provide Contact Information. And after all this hard work honing your pitch and finding the right person to pitch, don’t forget the most important information: how to reach you, the best times, and the best methods to contact you. Be as accessible as possible.
Remember, if you are pitching a specific story and it doesn’t get picked up now, don’t lose heart. As long as you are continually reaching out to NPR, you will end up in the right person’s Rolodex at the right time, some time down the road. NPR has a rich database of experts, so reminding reporters of your expertise and area of coverage will eventually pay off.
Case Study: Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2009 Kids Count Data Book
by Susan Matthews Apgood
In July, the Annie E. Casey Foundation utilized radio for the release of the 20th annual KIDS COUNT Data Book. The Foundation worked with Hager Sharp to capitalize on radio’s ability to localize national stories by completing 51 recordings and 24 interviews with national and local networks and top stations around the county.
The KIDS COUNT Data Book outlines improvements to the nation’s ability to design and evaluate programs aimed at the needs of children and families living in poverty. Casey makes it clear that the basis for improving the outcomes of this country’s most disadvantaged children and families lies in identifying where they are, the conditions within which they live and the effectiveness of current programs to improve outcomes. The Data Book and the new Data Center respond to this need by providing the nation with a consistent source of information about children’s well-being.
In addition to 20 years of consistent measurement across the states, data is now available at the state, county, and city level, providing policymakers with the most comprehensive source of information on children’s well-being. The data is also perfect for radio reporters to utilize and create local reports that appeal to the interests of their listening audiences.
The Data Book was released on Tuesday, July 28, and sound bites were fed to networks and stations around the United States, to highlight their local areas. Each sound bite was recorded by either a KIDS COUNT state grantee or another person involved in a local KIDS COUNT program.
On July 29, Laura Beavers, coordinator for the national KIDS COUNT project, and Patrick McCarthy, senior vice president of the Casey Foundation, completed a radio media tour connecting with national networks and top-tier news and talk stations.
“The 2009 results from the radio media tour exceeded our expectations,” said Sue Lin Chong, public affairs manager of the Casey Foundation.
“This year, we made a concerted and strategic effort to announce our Data Book across many platforms – broadcast, print, webinar, and social media tours. The radio outreach had a strong impact in the rural areas, in particular. News Generation, Inc. did an outstanding job in scheduling the radio media tour for our spokespeople so that our message could reach national listeners.”
Total results from the radio outreach were more than 17 million listeners, with national airings on Metro Source, CNN Radio, Fox News Radio, and American Urban Radio Network. More information on Kids Count can be found at http://datacenter.kidscount.org.
More on the Consolidation of Radio
by Curt Gill
The struggling economy continues to take its toll on all forms of media outlets, with radio bearing a healthy brunt. Large ownership groups, such as Clear Channel, have laid off thousands of employees and sold off chunks of their holdings. Other groups, such as Metro Networks/Westwood One, one of the nation’s largest radio networks, has been forced to consolidate its operation by shuttering some local news bureaus, in order to focus more on regional news coverage.
Even venerable outlets like Associated Press have been forced to alter the way they conduct interviews and dispense their news. These moves have changed the landscape of radio and therefore, have changed the way that stories must be pitched to these outlets.
Although change is inevitable, there are some events that set about a more rapid evolution. To address these developments, one must be willing to adapt along with them. As large national networks streamline their operations, stories must be crafted to take advantage of this change. For national networks, the best solution is to provide a strong, well-prepared national spokesperson – a person who is versed on local statistics and events, but also has the cache to attract interest on a national level.
Another approach is to offer not only the strong, national spokesperson, but also local spokespeople who can be pitched to individual stations in particular markets. Stations of all sizes continue to look for ways to localize their stories as much as possible. Using a combination of national and local spokespeople is the perfect way to capture the attention of reporters, up and down the spectrum, from the national outlet to the local station.
As the local bureaus of Metro Networks disappear, some of the most important emerging outlets for content dissemination are the statewide radio networks found in virtually every state across the country. In some cases, these statewide networks are significantly larger than the departed Metro bureaus and are often associated with some of the biggest stations in the state.
For example, Texas Radio Network shares operations with the largest news-talk station in Dallas-Fort Worth, and the Georgia News Network works out of the same newsroom as the largest talk station in Atlanta. Taking advantage of these relationships can only add to the reach of the story.
Regardless of consolidation, using radio provides a great opportunity to match your objectives with that of the reporter to form a successful campaign. The national networks continue to play a significant role in radio and providing them with strong national spokespeople for relevant, timely issues is an easy model for success, with stories often reaching millions of listeners. And as some networks shrink their operations, statewide networks and local stations will play a even more prominent role in distributing content to a large listening audience.
The best way to reach these outlets is to provide them with the same story, but presented through a local expert who can speak directly to the needs of the community in which they live or provide stations with local statistics that speak to their geographic area.
Maximizing a Campaign’s Message
by Akilah Luke
There was a time when all it took to get a message out about a particular issue was a simple invitation or mention in the newspaper. Today, getting a message out requires public relations professionals to create campaigns that are an ongoing outreach process. The mass media is undergoing radical change and one of the challenges for PR pros is to translate the desire for change into effective action steps by moving opinion into behavior, in order to create social action online.
Blogs, social networks and sophisticated market research are making campaign messaging somewhat challenging but more necessary than ever before. For example, if an organization makes an annual commitment to discuss breast cancer during Breast Cancer Awareness month and each year conducts a radio media tour, they should think about ways to capitalize on the radio media tour before, during and after the tour by utilizing online tools. Long gone are the days of only establishing basic messaging on radio, print and TV and having that be enough to spur action.
According to ConversationMarketing.com, most web site traffic comes in six months before and after a campaign is launched. But, PR professionals may miss the opportunity to capitalize on the traffic coming to their web site or social networking sites if they don’t strike while the iron is hot. One way to avoid missing this opportunity is to couple a media outreach campaign with social networking sites, viral emails, and website traffic.
Campaigns should tap into core demographics, consumer groups like “women between the ages of 35 and 65” if a campaign is based around breast cancer education, and later consider building the effort outward to include men and other female age groups as momentum is gained online.
Considering all this, planning a campaign targeting consumers online along with the most newsworthy story angles during a campaign will mean support throughout the year for events and initiatives. Keep in mind, the goal is to get as much advance and post publicity as possible and to get consumers involved by having a strong call to action to get them engaged in a campaign instead of simply being told about it.
Tuning In newsletter is produced and distributed bi-annually. The goal of the newsletter is to educate clients on radio trends and industry tips, as well as highlight case studies and release survey information.
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