Media Relations: A Critical Juncture

Media relations: a critical juncture The argument about whether or not organizations can achieve a peaceful and productive co-existence with media has been going on for years. What is seldom understood, let alone accepted, is that the media are perfectly entitled to gather information, digest it, and regurgitate it in a way that they find best. Of course, there are abuses on the media side, too. However, recent research by the U.S. Times-Mirror organization shows that the majority of Americans polled think the media are doing a professional job and believe, in fact, that business influences media (70%). But if we grant for the moment that generally speaking, media are seeking to consistently do their job better, we have to ask ourselves if we in the private or public sector are doing ours as well as we should. I do not think so. A surprising number of both career-conscious public relations people and critical executives have justified a negative attitude towards media because that is the most expedient and comfortable attitude to have. But I think all that is coming to an end. The right to know People have an intrinsic curiosity about things. We are a society that feeds on huge doses of information--useful and irrelevant--via the media. And since part of the intent behind most stories is to find out who is to blame and what went or could go wrong, we have developed a high level of doubt and concern about organizational credibility. Furthermore, legislation such as the access to information laws have reinforced the public's belief in its right to know. More and more, organizations are realizing that, ultimately, they operate by public consent. If the answers to questions and concerns are not forthcoming, with and through the work of media, the public will reconsider its consent. It can withdraw consent through boycotts or political pressure. And poll-driven governments will listen hard to public opinion, since satisfying that opinion is the only way it can retain power. News: Business and entertainment Not only is society more inquisitive, it has also become highly sophisticated in its consumption of information, analysis, and opinion. And while media has a role as moral guardian, it is also an industry--a very competitive one. Who gets the story first, and how it is packaged, are to the business side of media what the search for the truth is to the responsible journalist. As a result, there is a movement towards more "live eye" reports, with on-the-spot or instant coverage of events. Even print media can move and respond more quickly, such as with immediate full-page analyses following any major government pronouncement. At the same time, thanks to hightech, global issues become backyard issues. And biased, or "peripheral," experts are readily available to give opinions which too often are personal and political, rather than professional. The entertainment side of news sets the stage in conflict and drama. One of the most annoying realities corporate executives have to face is that the "balanced" story almost invariably places the corporate message in conflict and disagreement with something. Increasing fragmentation The term "general public" is fast becoming a misnomer. Special interest and advocacy groups have grown like weeds or wildflowers, depending on one's view, and with them, more specialized media. There is really an astounding number of media: trade journals; specialized consumer publications; all-news networks; cable TV stations; the dedicated religious, lifestyle, business, and sports networks; the brace of weeklies; plus the mass media and all its specialized sectors. All of them have very clearly delineated, and researched, audiences. As well, there are an increasing number of better educated, better prepared, and better equipped reporters and editors. …