Local press: still a vital part of the PR mix
With all the focus on blogs as a vital part of the PR mix, it’s worth remembering that not everyone lives in cyberspace. PR man and local councillor Stuart Bruce points out that while his politician’s blog reaches many opinion formers in his ward, the blog misses many voters and probably always will.
So it’s no surprise that some US practitioners are now rediscovering their local papers. PR Week USA’s description of a well staffed local press is at odds with the UK experience, but the lessons for public relations professionals are just as valid. The simplicity of the printed page has yet to be beaten in technological terms. Newspapers can be read anywhere, by anyone with a basic education and free distribution means they continue to reach more households than any other medium.
And yet many public relations professionals struggle to win local coverage. National news is national news and the simple truth that a local paper needs a local angle escapes many PRs. That means a story must connect with and have real relevance to the community the newspaper serves. It also means that winning local coverage can require as much (often much more) effort than a national story.
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