The intertwining relationships between PRs and the media
By Sarah Davidson, editor, Every Investor
It’s a well-known fact in the media industry that journalists love to have a whinge about PRs. You’re on the “dark side” while we get to help the consumer by writing unbiased and useful news and analysis that doesn’t have a corporate agenda.
While I agree with that sentiment insofar as writing a balanced summary of the facts goes, I think writing off PR as the darker side of spin is perhaps a little short-sighted. With the newspaper business still struggling to find a sustainable way to stay profitable, we all have an agenda, not least, commercial survival.
Given the need to sell papers and make money – often through dependence on advertising – I think the relationship between PR and journalism has an opportunity to evolve. So-called native advertising tries to take account of the hurdles faced by editors the world over: keeping content interesting and relevant for the reader while keeping the advertiser happy.
It works by associating brands with good quality editorial that serves the reader with what they want – unbiased information. The association is paid for yes, but critically, this isn’t traditional advertorial. The idea is much more akin to public relations – by penning a piece of editorial that engages the reader and offers them content they really want to read you have something much more valuable than a flashing ad in the middle of a story. You have their attention. Placing a branded retirement calculator next to an article on the pros and cons of income drawdown, for example, is a logical way of drawing that attention towards a corporate brand. As long as it’s flagged as a sponsored page on an editorial website the reader is aware it’s advertising – but it’s still useful to them.
PR can help in this transition. Good quality editorial requires time, skill and knowledge. With papers still struggling financially, that is something PRs can offer which is mutually beneficial for their clients, the news outlet and most importantly, the reader.
Every Investor editor Sarah Davidson is a multi-award winning journalist who has edited three personal finance magazines and writes regularly for national newspaper the Independent on Sunday. She has been interviewed on both the BBC and Channel 5 as a personal finance expert specialising in mortgage finance and housing.