The dumbing down of media

Countless articles are written every day decrying the demise of journalism and all of democracy along with it, but many of them are little more than personal rants from recently unemployed journalists or romanticized writings that pine for a "Front Page" era that never really existed in our lifetime.

One observation made in various venues lately does resonate, however, and it has important consequences for the PR profession as well as the media. It involves the decline of "specialty" beats.

At one time it seemed a requirement for any ambitious newspaper to have a stable of reporters who focused on specific areas--such as science, religion, economics, legal affairs, and environmental issues--beyond the traditional police and city council beats that were considered necessary but pedestrian. (For those of you who are fluent in marketing-speak, think "verticals.")

The formalization of specialty beats is a relatively recent one phenomenon, at least on a historical timeline. A generation ago, newspapers didn't even have separate sections devoted to business, lifestyle, food, and certainly technology.

The idea was sound, to become expert in topics that are of particular interest to readers. But as resources have dwindled, these so-called specialists have been viewed as a luxury that can no longer be afforded.

So in their Sisyphean struggle to survive, many mainstream news organizations are doing exactly the wrong thing as they cut their staffs to the bone. Thinking that they need to keep the most versatile reporters to cover the broadest range of subjects--aka, doing more with fewer resources--editors are turning everyone into general-assignment reporters. It's the ultimate destination of a misguided path laid long ago to be all things to all readers.

An article in The Nation underscored the problem using a compelling example: The firing of science writers at the height of the swine flu epidemic:

"It's no secret the newspaper industry is hemorrhaging staff writers and slashing coverage as its business model collapses in the face of declining readership and advertising revenues. But less recognized is how this trend is killing off a breed of journalistic specialists that we need now more than ever ... who are uniquely trained for the most difficult stories, those with a complex technical component that are nevertheless critical to politics and society."

Although the immediate effects of this transition will obviously be felt on the news side, PR professionals who recognize this trend first can gain an edge on their competitors--or, at the very least, ward against potential disasters created by journalists who misreport a client's information.

In the silver-lining department, there is an opportunity for PR reps to become subject-area experts and shift the balance of power. In this age of declining faith in media accuracy, corporate newsrooms and blogs can draw journalists to you, rather than the other way around--even for H1N1 information.

Unfortunately, there are far more negatives to this universal dumbing-down syndrome. But here too, one can take preventive measures in an age where getting it out first often trumps getting it right. And we all know who gets blamed when a client's information is erroneously reported. (That's right, Sparky, it's you.)

So here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• The importance of simplicity: Communications with the media need to be clear, concise, and compelling. Identify the most newsworthy elements of your news and why it matters to them. Run your elevator pitch by someone outside your PR department (like your mother) to make sure a non-specialist will understand it.
• Know your media target: Research your reporters before contacting them. Don't rely on information from third-party media databases and corporate press lists because they probably contain erroneous or outdated information.
• Corporate blogging: Minimize the use of the dreaded press release and focus instead on developing your own corporate news channel that distributes information via blogs, Twitter, Facebook, FriendFeed, or some other platform that you control. This will get your information to both consumers and the media.

With any luck, we can collectively stave off this intellectual downsizing through new conduits of information. After all, it's all just content--no matter who provides it.