I come to bury newspapers, not to praise them. 
For the second time in a week, I attended a high-tech event where newspaper reporters were present — and no one in the room seemed to notice. Just a few years ago, Washington Post tech reporters would avoid wearing name tags at networking events to keep from being mobbed by entrepreneurs and start-ups seeking coverage. Those days are gone.
Newspapers, which begrudgingly added online news distribution to their portfolios, are hurting. As readership plummets, so does the revenue from advertising. In a losing effort to stay in the black, newspapers are dumping hundreds of journalists, most of whom are their best talent.
The list of layoffs & buyouts is astounding:
· The Boston Globe bought out 60 staffers this year, following a 2007 buyout that led to the exit of Pulitzer Prize winners
· The Tampa Tribune offered buyouts to half its staff
· The New York Times cut 100 employees
· The Seattle Times eliminated 200 jobs
· The Modesto Bee unloaded 100 people
The news hole at print newspapers is shrinking fast. Many business sections don’t even carry a tech reporter any more. With the reduced headcount in newsrooms, beat reporters are often regulated to covering only publicly traded companies.
This all means you need to broaden your target list beyond traditional print media if you have a business and are seeking promotion. Print newspapers are failing because people are getting their news from non-traditional sources online.
Your public relations strategy needs to include niche blogs that cover your industry and Web-based news sites, such as Internet.com, bMighty and the online versions of traditional newspapers.
While your company might get lucky and land an article in a large daily newspaper, avoid putting all your PR eggs into this disappearing basket.
Comments