The State of Journalism and how it relates to PR

April 12, 2023 | Amanda Green

Journalism was never an easy career, but today’s journalists are on a real struggle bus. They’re pinched between tight deadlines while covering multiple beats, a serious lack of job security, and growing distrust from a public that no longer respects the profession. We live in a content era where people confuse opinions and misinformation with “news,” unchecked AI-created content gets published as fact, and clickbait stories get told because people will see them and not because they matter. Business leaders and PR professionals must understand the state of journalism today in order to better serve their clients and the journalists who cover them. 

In these uncertain economic times…

According to Muck Rack’s March 2023 “State of Journalism” report, two out of three journalists say economic uncertainty has impacted their work. Corporate layoffs and budget cuts have forced them to switch jobs, change their careers and/or take on a heavier workload. Some say there’s simply less work out there. 

The depth of the economy’s impact on journalism goes much deeper than editorial layoffs. Respondents to the Muck Rack survey cited lack of funding as one of the most concerning issues in their industry. Respondents cited disinformation as the other big concern. Lack of trust in the media, decreasing readership, a lack of time to cover stories thoughtfully, and journalist safety also ranked. Even things like pay-for-play content and affiliate marketing made the list of concerns. No doubt, these issues all tie back to the economy. Newsrooms are stretched thin.

How PR can help journalists

Step one is to put yourself in the journalists’ shoes. Here at Orca Communications many of our publicists and other members of our team (myself included) are former journalists. Our experience on the other side of the media machine gives us unique insight into what these editors and writers battle with every day: tight deadlines, juggling multiple stories, and increased pressure to “win” at ratings or click-throughs. Trust me when I say that journalists want your help. In fact, the number of journalists who responded to the Muck Rack survey saying they are more likely to respond to pitches this year increased. But you have to actually be helpful. You cannot try to sell them on a story idea that they simply do not want or cannot cover. Here are a few things to realize:  

1. Journalists are content creators, but journalism is not the same as content creation

The American Press Institute defines journalism as, “ the activity of gathering, assessing, creating, and presenting news and information.” This means that stories and pitches presented to journalists need to be factual. Journalists are not interested in covering your story in exchange for money or goods. They will respond to a pitch when it relates to and impacts their audience. Then, they will tell the story as they see it. 

Content creators, like social media influencers or bloggers, on the other hand, may have more interest in pay-for-play posts, advertorials, or other sponsored content. Unlike journalists who are mostly looking for facts and unbiased information, many content creators are more interested in trend-worthy content that can make them more profitable. Influencers build their social media brands through partnerships that fit their voice and audience. 

Know who you’re pitching to and what kind of content they produce. There are a lot of different types of media out there and pitches are not one-size-fits-all.

2. Journalists carry a heavy workload 

That Muck Rack survey says the average journalist covers 4 beats. They’re also expected to produce content in at least two mediums. Most of the journalists I know are also in charge of making sure their content gets views and click-throughs online. Many of them churn out multiple “beat” stories every week in addition to researching and writing whatever passion project piece they may be working on.

Beth Johnson, a former TV producer and founder of a journalist advocacy website called survivetvjobs.com, says journalists welcome PR pitches, but they have to be relevant and they have to be timely. “Journalists are not doing a lot of future planning. They are still reacting to day-to-day events largely, so the timing of a pitch is extremely important. This can also mean journalists are not source-building strongly, so it can be easier to break in and become the go-to source. This then leads back to the misinformation question. Are newsrooms able to truly vet the people they interview to make sure they really have correct facts? Are they really experts or just good at sending a pitch at the right time with their agenda?”

PR pros can also help ease the burden by providing easy-to-navigate digital media kits and being responsive to emails and requests for interviews. Also, don’t hesitate to ask how you can help. Orca publicist Rita Tennyson points to a recent situation where she assisted a journalist by helping her get all of the information for the piece into the same font size and style. Journalists are more likely to see you as a trustworthy source when you prove yourself useful. 

3. Many journalists struggle to find legitimate expert sources

Considering the growing database of “experts” on any given topic in the world, you’d be surprised at how difficult it can be to find an unbiased source. Journalists often turn down offers from “experts” because the pitch they receive is overly promotional and/or an inaccurate representation of the source’s credentials. 

The suspicion is especially high for experts from the C-suite. The Muck Rack survey found that fewer journalists (62%) find CEOs to be credible sources – that figure is down 12% in two years. Journalist and founder of Orlando Tech News, Marco Santana, says there’s a reason for this, “As a journalist, you never want to be the one who gets duped by a CEO into reporting something that isn’t true. CEOs, by definition, have an agenda. Unfortunately, we have seen lately prominent stories reported about people like Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes or Frank CEO Charlie Javice, each of whom is facing charges of defrauding or misleading investors. While these stories represent a small fraction of the companies that journalists cover, they still plant seeds of suspicion that sometimes manifest in questioning credibility. These three letters – CEO – likely have seen a decrease in credibility because journalists have seen others get burned repeatedly. That might be an overreaction at times but that’s likely a factor in seeing these numbers drop.” Our advice is that PR pros can counter that by making sure they only offer factual information and relevant sources. 

The current state of journalism requires PR professionals and businesses to practice patience even more so than usual. It certainly helps that Orca publicists have a deep understanding of both sides of the industry so that we can help tell the best stories. The result is better coverage for our clients and better editorial content for the press!