Two weeks after the terrorist attacks, a New York Times reporter wrote that the war "may not have blighted the pubic relations industry entirely, but it certainly has given the
business of ballyhoo a bad name." It is still not business as usual. Nor should it be.
The national media headquarters is in New York, and wisps of smoke continue to curl from the ruins at Ground Zero. The war coverage from overseas will remind us daily of our
victories and our losses. Domestically, the mood remains one of caution and kindness. Coverage will continue on issues of anthrax and airports. It's not going away.
Thus, allow me to chart the nature of media relations through early 2002.
Events of war, foreign and domestic, will continue to drive press coverage
- The focus of newsrooms has changed. Even at organizations with no reporters overseas, discussion of the next day's "package" of war-related stories dominates interest, if
not the time, of news budget meetings. Every reporter wants to cover the "big story." Washington and New York bureaus have been beefed up. So there are fewer reporters to talk in
the main newsroom, and fewer available to talk about non-war or domestic terrorism-related stories. - The nature of news has shifted. Much of what consumed our attention prior to Sept. 11, what The Times called "the greatest year ever for flackery and hoopla," remains
insignificant. Why care about "Survivor" when real heroes dominate the news? Predictably, morning shows are moving back to some soft, celebrity reporting, but it seems out of
place. Certainly, the upcoming holiday season will see additional opportunities for entertainment and product PR. Yet even that window is not fully open.
Meanwhile, there is a recession on
- While this may be a great time to be a journalist, it's a rotten time to be a publisher. The media is facing the worst year of advertising revenue in recent memory. As
media companies pay for the high costs of war coverage, they are laying off staffers in other areas. News holes have shrunk on the print side. Local broadcast news is covering
national news and reaction. - Economically, times will get tougher before they get better. Projections indicate that unemployment may not peak until the second quarter. Look for an upsurge of foreclosure
stories, perhaps the rise of the "new homeless" after that. In all, it looks like it will be a fairly sober time.
Thus, some strategies for 2002
- Build relationships with reporters. There may be fewer journalists
available, but remember there are fewer PR practioners working, too. It's a
period that will put a premium on professionalism. - Listen to the graybeards. In the office and in the country, leadership
has passed to those who have seen hard times--and war--before. Get some perspective.
This may be a time for spokespeople who are old and wizened, not hip and cool. - It's a good time to build partnerships with local nonprofits. Local charities
have seen a shift of donations to disaster-oriented programs, while the recession
and stock market downturn has reduced the level of giving. Building true partnerships,
not PR ploys, serves communities and companies. - Focus on old media. The traditional print and broadcast media, and
their business sections, remain the key channels of information. When major
news continues to break on a daily, sometimes hourly basis, only the most obsessed
have time or interest to pore through the tech publications and news services
that were flourishing a year ago. - Underscore traditional messages. Few will care if your company or
client is first to market, most profitable, biggest, fastest or tastiest, unless
any of these supposed attributes actually serve customers and even better--society. - Tell your CEO to put his ego back in his pocket; the nature of leadership
has changed. The model now is the "new" self-effacing, nonpolitical, straight-talking, hard working Rudy Giuliani. - Take a lesson from another war. Go to the library, or your grandparent's
attic, and gaze through the pages of a World War II era Life magazine. Branding
and marketing at that time were tied to the national purpose and the values
of a Norman Rockwell America.
It's not a bad time to take stock of the PR profession, either. A lot of younger staffers are wondering if their work has social value, at a time when that is needed. They may
be right. Forget the self-serving blather. It's a good time to commit to truth, within agencies and companies, and in discussions with press contacts. We are all in this
together.
Paul Shinoff is president of the San Francisco-based Shinoff Group. He can
be reached at [email protected] or 415/495-1991.
Savvy Secretary
With all due respect to Rudy Giuliani, the most effective spokesperson to emerge in the war--in both tone and content--is Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. His seemingly
daily press briefings are masterworks and should be studied by PR professionals, CEOs and spokespeople everywhere. Neither glib nor overly polished, he brings enormous control, a
mastery of facts, and a sense of duty to every session. Rumsfeld tells the truth, acknowledges error, and serves as a teacher as well as a respondent. When angered by leaks,
Rumsfeld said he had "more important things to do" than seek to root out the secret sources. That type of mature leadership, in a very sensitive position, has set a tone for more
responsible media coverage and has served the nation well.