Public Relations and the Evolving Media Landscape

Historical Reliance on Traditional Media

Public relations (PR) traditionally relied on legacy media (newspapers, TV, radio).
PR practitioners were often ex-journalists.
Focused on publicity model: disseminating information to journalists.

Concept from 18th-century Britain, reflecting press independence.
Four estates: church, nobility (House of Lords), people (House of Commons), and the press.
The press acted as a watchdog on government activities, reporting matters of public interest.
Evolved into the concept of freedom of the press, integral to democratic life.

Media coverage (earned media) is highly valued for:
- Raising the profile of organizations, products, or brands.
- Building reputation.
- Perceived credibility.
Positive media coverage is a valuable asset due to media's influence.
Relates to agenda-setting theory.

Growth of the PR industry and technological advances have challenged the role of traditional media.
Media relations remains a key part of PR, and media coverage is still valued.
Legacy media continues to wield significant influence, often setting the news agenda.

Social media usage has grown rapidly.
More people are turning to social media to source news.
Algorithmic filtering: if you like a certain type of news, you'll get more of the same.
- Potential lack of exposure to diverse opinions.

Trust in traditional media to ensure journalistic ethics (honesty, trust, fairness).
Concerns about the rigor of online media publishers.
Question: How can we be sure that the news we consume is real or fake?
Online ability for fake news to spread rapidly is a problem.
Blurring lines between organic and sponsored content is concerning.
- Stanford University student study: 80\% of school students saw sponsored content as actual news.

Check the source.
Be aware of your biases.
Follow a range of independent news outlets.
Visit actual news websites (e.g., abc.net.au) rather than relying solely on social media.

Proliferation of online media outlets competing for attention and advertising dollars.
Some outlets feature quality independent journalism, while others push agendas or use sensationalized news.
Democratization is positive, but the lack of checks and balances requires vigilance from consumers.
Consumers often reshare stories without checking validity, assuming the role of media publisher.

Collection and publication of news by the general public, distributed via the Internet or social media.
Fueled by technological advancements and media democratization.
Evident during crises or major incidents.
Traditional media often pick up these reports.
Turning point: 2005 London bombings - iconic imagery submitted by citizen journalists.
Traditional media has embraced the trend, using it as a resource.

Rise of social media, changing role of media, alternative media publishers, and growth in citizen journalism have negatively affected legacy media (particularly print).
Declining advertising revenues have led to the rationalization of the media industry.
News Limited and Fairfax have cut editorial staff, leading to greater workloads and centralization.
Traditional media outlets have been forced to reinvent business models and embrace new platforms.

Interconnection of information and communication technologies.
Media outlets publishing content across multiple platforms, blurring boundaries.
Newspapers (like The Advertiser) have online versions, publish videos, and run breaking news in real time.
Print media outlets compete with TV and radio news media by broadcasting on electronic platforms.
Changes in media consumption (high social media reliance, less loyalty) have contributed to media convergence.
Relaxing of Australia's media ownership laws may encourage further media convergence.

PR practitioners outnumber journalists four to one (in America, McChesney and Nichols' research).
Journalists may rely more on PR practitioners for stories due to the rationalization of the journalistic workforce and media convergence.
Many journalists maintain positive relationships with PR practitioners and recognize their value as a source of information.
Technological advances have enabled PR practitioners to develop new ways of communicating directly with target publics and stakeholders.
Growth of PR practitioner's role as content creator and shift toward owned media channels.
Organizations are bypassing traditional media to announce news directly to publics via social media, challenging agenda-setting.
Content created for media (media releases, backgrounders, video news releases) can now be accessed by the public via websites.
Created a more transparent environment and reduced reliance on media outlets.