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10.29.07
Is Media Relations Dead On The Web?
 By Dave Davis
With all of the recent hype in the world of online public relations (sometimes known as PR 2.0) about things like the social media news release (SMNR or SMR) and social media newsrooms (Disclaimer: I don't personally advocate the use of the SMNR.), some members of the PR industry have hinted that media relations on the Web may be dead, or at least on its way out the door.
That couldn't be further from the truth.
What is Media Relations?
Surprising as it may be, no one seems to misrepresent media relations more than public relations folks. There's a common misconception among some in the industry (as well as with plenty outside of the PR industry) that "media relations" and "public relations" are synonymous. They're not.
Before we can tackle what media relations is, we need to understand what public relations is. Defining public relations has always been a challenge, so let's tackle it. Public relations is a management function by which a company, government, organization, or individual creates, builds, and maintains a positive image with their publics (which could include customers, residents living in the neighborhood of a business, government officials, etc. - anyone that can influence or affect them).
Media relations, on the other hand, is a component of public relations rather than being its equivalent. You can look at the media as just one outreach tool for communicating with a key public or audience. You have to keep in mind that the media isn't the only tool available to reach your publics. You can reach your target audience with your message through media coverage, but you can also reach them directly.
Why do people, even in the industry, get it wrong? Misinformation is everywhere, including in trusted sources. For example, if you're a small business owner interested in learning about how you can use public relations, you would be misled by a generally trusted source in your niche in Entrepreneur.com, which states:
" Public Relations Definition: Using the news or business press to carry positive stories about your company or your products; cultivating a good relationship with local press representative" - Source
That definition completely limits public relations to media relations activities. So let's make it even simpler. Media relations is how you handle your relationships with members of the media, and public relations is how you handle your relationships and image with members of the public directly (or any sub-group of the public). The media can help you to communicate with the public, but they're not your exclusive means of doing so.
Media Relations on the Web
Traditional media relations is often called a "push" concept: you're shoving your self-promotional messages in their face to put it bluntly, and members of the media rely on that to some degree to find news worth covering.
One of the big reasons some are touting things like social media as the killer of media relations is that we now have a "pull" model in place where journalists can find news on highly specific subjects on the Web, and will subscribe to things like RSS feeds if they're interested in news from a specific organization. They essentially have a better ability to pursue the news (as in the base angle) rather than having it fed to them.
Continue reading this article.
About the Author:
Dave Davis is the managing director and founder of RedFly Marketing, a full service search marketing agency based in Dublin, Ireland. Dave's thoughts on search engine marketing from a European perspective can be found on the Redfly Search Marketing Blog.
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