Nothing sells newspapers like a war. In September, The New York Times saw its newsstand circulation shoot up 37 percent (as reported on MSNBC), and other publications around
the country have seen a similar rise in readership in the wake of the Sept. 11 events.
For public relations professionals, this newfound interest in print media cuts both ways. On the one hand, the higher readership numbers make newspaper coverage more valuable
than ever. On the other hand, with news of the war and the economy foremost in reporters'-- and consumers'--minds, it is becoming increasingly difficult to win those coveted
column inches.
"Just the other day we pitched a [story] about a pediatric asthma event that we suggested for a health segment, and the person's response was: 'If it's not about anthrax, I'm
not interested. Get it?' And that is just one example," says Angela Harrington, president of Harrington Communications in Springfield, N.J.
Others have met the same kind of resistance. "If it isn't related to terror, anthrax, or business decline and failure, it's been pretty tough to get a story in the top-tier
newspapers about anything else," says Scott Hildula, VP of media relations in the San Francisco office of Cohn & Wolfe.
Rethinking Ink
Despite the roadblocks, communications pros are redoubling their efforts to score newspaper coverage for their clients.
"It's not just that readership is up," says Paul Shinoff, president of the San Francisco-based Shinoff Group. "I think newspapers are being read more carefully. People seem to
have an almost voracious appetite for news."
How to capitalize on those increased eyeballs? PR NEWS spoke with media relations experts to get their best advice for expanding the ever-narrowing news hole and getting
coverage in top papers:
- Put The Editor's Needs First--"The important thing to remember is
that it's not about your company or your client. It's not even about the newspaper
or magazine. It's about their readers," says Steve Winston, director of public
relations at Comforce Corporation, a $500-million public company. Readers
today "are really not very interested in how wonderful your company or client
is," he says. "Readers are interested in hearing about things that can help
them live their lives or run their businesses."Schwartz Communications, for example, recognized a need among editors for
more information on security in the face of cyber terrorism. Instead of
pitching a single client, the Schwartz team developed an innovative Web
chat, including leaders from six client organizations focused on cyber security,
as well as Congressional leaders and other expert sources. The Web chat
caught the attention of reporters at The Washington Times--not to mention
Dow Jones Newswires and several top-tier tech pubs. "One strategic thing
we do is put ourselves in the position of the editor," says Frederick Balboni,
Jr., supervisor of government relations and special events at Schwartz.
"After Sept 11, the security space is one item reporters needed to talk
about." - Respect Editors' Time--"We have started using email a lot more,"
says Marika Flatt, national media director at Phenix & Phenix Literary
Publicists in Austin, Texas. "It is less intrusive than a call, so they can
check it when they want. We have really cut down on our follow-up calls too."Fact is, most reporters are just too busy these days to listen. "They are
working anthrax or terrorism stories in addition to their regular beat assignments.
They have more on their plates now, and they are a little less tolerant,"
says Hildula. - Keep It Real--With wars and recessions, "the PR professional has
to have a good dose of reality," says Shinoff. "The publicist will fail. Anyone
who thinks of themselves as a 'publicity seeker' will fail." If you have no
hard news to sell, don't try to dress up fluff. Rather, Shinoff advises, PR
professionals would do well to plug into the prevailing sense of camaraderie
in the nation. "The communicator who represents clients with public-service
messages in the public-service area can work very successfully at this point
by focusing on the value [of a product or service] to the citizens at large,"
he says. Shinoff works with a mortgage insurance company that targets its
services at first- time home buyers. That company also cooperates closely
with various nonprofit housing organizations, and Shinoff has been able to
win newspaper coverage for that aspect of the client's work, "because it speaks
to the American values of home ownership and the individual's ability to succeed."
- Promote Expertise--Harrington's firm had been planning a new product
launch this fall for client firm Stronghold Technologies. The original PR
plan called for profiles of firms adopting the client's technology, "but in
this environment, that really is not going to resonate with editors," says
Harrington. Thus, a new plan evolved. As the campaign now stands, "we are
positioning the people in the company as key resources on the ways in which
technology can be used to enhance sales and service in a down economy," says
Harrington. This notion of promoting clients as experts in their respective
fields can open back doors to newspaper coverage at a time when the front
door is closed. "If you can't put forward their products and services [directly],
you can still promote their expertise," says Harrington--but she adds that
this is no simple task. "It means staying on top of the day-to-day issues
in order to see where your clients can fit in."
Eye on the News
It's not just anecdotal: Americans truly are following the news more closely than they were before Sept. 11, according to a recent survey by Editor and Publisher Magazine.
Of 40 daily newspapers surveyed by the magazine five weeks after Sept. 11, 34 reported that their circulation had grown, with many reporting increases in the 0.5 percent to 1.5
percent range. If the trend is sustained, the surveyors reported, it could put the newspaper industry on a growth track for the first time in 40 years.
Most of the reported gains came in single-copy sales, but researchers also found evidence that many "street buyers" are becoming subscribers.
In conjunction with the findings, John Murray, vice president of circulation marketing for the Newspaper Association of America, told Editor and Publisher that an overall gain
in newspaper circulation for the 12 months beginning Sept. 11 was a strong possibility.
(Contacts: Frederick Balboni, Jr., [email protected]
Marika Flatt, 512/478-2028, ext. 201, marika@bookpros. com; Angela Harrington,
973/ 912-8196, [email protected];
Scott Hildula, 415/477-4540, [email protected];
Paul Shinoff, 415/495-1991, [email protected];
Steve Winston, 561/994-9500, [email protected])