At least once every week, or so it seems, someone comes out with a “Traditional media is dead” article or warns that “We shouldn’t waste time on traditional media and advertising.” As a matter of fact, I read an article several months ago about a survey on the subject by PR/PA agency mergers and acquisition consultants, StevensGouldPincus. SGP managing partner, Art Stevens was quoted as saying, “If this trend persists within the next two years social media will replace traditional media as PR/PA’s primary tool for reaching client audiences with news and information. When you consider that traditional media have been the bedrock of professional PR/PA practice for more than 100 years, the implications are profound.”

I’ll concede that the preferred vehicle for news distribution is definitely shifting to digital, real-time and even mobile platforms and I’ll agree that the implications are profound to communicators and consumers alike; however, the source of most of that content remains the same: The percentage of original content found on social media pales in comparison to traditional media. In reality, most news content is first published in the print or web editions of major news outlets, and then syndicated or picked up on social media networks and blogs, confirms this BurrellesLuce newsletter on “Social Media Myths and Misconceptions“.

In fact, according to a Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism study last year, “Blogs still heavily rely on the traditional press — and primarily just a few outlets within that — for their information. More than 99 percent of the stories linked to in blogs came from legacy outlets such as newspapers and broadcast networks. And just four — the BBC, CNN, The New York Times and The Washington Post accounted for fully 80 percent of all links.”

So, let’s face it, without traditional media, in whatever form, there would be very little news to fuel social media. Will that change in the future? Perhaps. But as of today, traditional media is NOT dead.

Even if it is, perhaps that isn’t such a bad thing after all… Because as Seth Godin recently wrote in a post entitled, Bring Me Something Dead: “Dead means that they are no longer interesting to the drive-by technorati. Dead means that the curiosity factor has been satisfied, that people have gotten the joke… Only when an innovation is dead can the real work begin. That’s when people who are seeking leverage get to work, when we can focus on what we’re saying, not how (or where) we’re saying it…”

What do you think the future holds?

Image Courtesy of DC Comics

It would be hard to imagine the fictional newspaper men (and women) of the past like Perry White of the “Daily Planet” (Superman) hollering for their first quarter numbers of “unique visitors per month” or boasting about their ranking for “most-linked-to-news-outlets” or even deliberating about putting their content behind a “pay-wall.” Today these are just some of the relatively new terms being used to describe the various metrics and business models newspapers are exploring during this transitional period in which the entire industry finds itself. 

For the last several years the forecasts for news organizations have been filled with doom and gloom. However the news about the news industry has been much rosier as of late. For starters, newspaper website’s traffic continues to grow. As highlighted in this Media Post article, online newspaper operations from the top 25 media outlets reached 83.7 million unique visitors in April, up 10 percent from March, 12 percent from February and 15 percent from January of this year, according to comscore figures released by the Newspaper National Network. And according to Nielsen, 74.4 million unique visitors per month in the first quarter of 2010 were a record – up from 72 million from the first quarter of 2009. These increases were actually higher than competitors like CNN and The Huffington post who came in at 43.4 million (flat) and 22.2 million (a 3 percent drop) respectively.

(For a list of the top 100 daily newspapers, 25 consumer magazines, 25 blogs, and the 20 social networks in the U.S., check out the updated 2010 Top Media List from BurrellesLuce.)

It is obvious from these figures that, as Google’s CEO, Eric Schmidt was recently quoted as saying, “Newspapers don’t have a demand problem they have a business model problem.”

As various business models continue to be tested, measured and debated within the industry, a silver bullet has yet to emerge. So far, it appears that several viable solutions are taking shape and depending on who you ask you’ll get a justification for each of them. According to this article on CNN.com, “Last year Rupert Murdoch, chairman and CEO of The Wall Street Journal’s parent company News Corp., said ‘The current free access business model favored by most content providers was flawed and contributed to a fall in newspapers’ revenues.’” The WSJ is currently behind a pay-wall and “he also claimed the Wall Street Journal had proved that charging for content could be made to work pointing out that 360,000 people had downloaded an iPhone WSJ application in three weeks and that users would soon be made to pay “handsomely” for accessing WSJ content.”

Alternatively, The New Times plans to use a metered system (EZ Pass approach) starting January 2011, where a certain number of articles would be free before demanding payment (similar to what Financial Times is currently using). This may solve their monetization challenge, but it will no doubt affect their “most-linked-to-news-outlets” rank, a measure used to track the amount of people who actually clicked-through to the original news organizations website via a blog or third party source. This could significantly impact results, with 99 percent of the stories bloggers include as links coming from traditional mainstream media sources. Interestingly enough, 80 percent of the stories linked to in online and social media come from only four news outlets: The New York Times (20 percent), BBC news (23 percent), CNN.com (21 percent), and the Washington Post (16 percent). The Wall Street Journal has twice the print circulation as the New York Times, but  is not on this short list. 

Some pay-wall advocates would argue that the majority of these visitors are merely “drive by users” who come in once through an aggregator and don’t really engage with the product. The counter argument claims more traffic directed to a newspaper’s online site would ultimately translate into higher advertising dollars.

If the numbers prove the demand for news content is there, let’s hope for the news industry’s sake the revenue will follow. In my opinion credible news journalism still trumps all. As long as it’s being distributed through the device of choice, engaged by the readers, and monetized in a way that generates revenue without isolating readers – it doesn’t matter whether it’s done through pay-walls, online advertising, or possibly something we haven’t thought of yet. (After all necessity is the mother of all inventions.) A tall order for the news industry for sure, but the future suddenly looks a whole lot brighter. There’s no doubt the identity of the news industry will change, but a reinvented news organization is still better than none at all.

Are you getting these questions, too? As PR professionals, we are looked to as experts by our clients, but, who has time to keep up with all the changes in social media these days?

At a recent professional organization meeting, I suggested we do a program on location-based social media sites, like Foursquare, Gowalla, Yelp, Loopt, and GoogleBuzz, and was met with dead stares. I quickly educated the committee, but still they were not sure if we should present on this developing trend just yet. They, however, agreed we should help educate members on emerging PR social media tools. A good place to start is Peter Wylie’s post on the Social Media Examiner, 5 Emerging Social Media Sites to Watch in 2010. This list of the most useful social media and PR blog posts – so far this year – is another good resource.

But what about location-based social media? How can PR and marketing professionals benefit from this type of social network? Luckily, I had the opportunity to also give a presentation to several members of Cultural Tourism D.C. Because the attendees’ organizations rely on tourism, we were able to dissect some of the location-based social media now available.

As previously mentioned on Fresh Ideas, GPS enabled mobile phones have enabled more players to enter this new era of social media technology. Even both Facebook and Twitter have announced the ability to add location to your updates.

A new program, Checkin Mania, reviewed recently by Mashable, could have helped me compare check-ins on various sites for a particular location. But for my presentation, my personal research found that the majority of the Washington, D.C. updates were on Yelp and Foursquare.

• Yelp makes it easy for businesses to set-up their own account. You should know, in a recent Washington Post article, Michael S. Rosenwald revealed that several companies felt pressured by Yelp to advertise in order to have positive reviews at the top of the businesses’ listings. Yelp denies this claim. The article discusses other social media tools for PR, as well.
• Foursquare recently announced they will soon have analysis tools for businesses. It will allow business to gain additional information on their customers and provide instant promotions.

However, there are also real privacy concerns whenever you announce your location in social media. A recent Chicago Tribune article spawned numerous blog postings on the issue. But, are these concerns enough to stop people from publicizing which Starbucks they love best? Doubtful. Still there are some precautions that PR and marketing professionals, and location-based social media users should consider. As conveyed in the March BurrellesLuce Newsletter: “Be aware of your privacy options” and “Be smart about your postings.”

What new tools are using to help your clients? Are you using location-based social media sites to help drive traffic to your client’s business?

NASA is trying to reach younger people, who feel space travel is blasé. They also need funding and support for future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. I was surprised how many stories relayed NASA’s key message: space missions are important to the advancement of science.

A. Pawlowski made this point in a CNN.com article looking at the debate over space travel. A very fun sidebar in the print edition of the Washington Post highlighted many of the products developed because of the space program. Even Google Earth got into the act.

Peter Shankman of HARO was asked at a presentation at the National Institutes of Health which government agency is utilizing social media well? Not surprisingly, his answer was NASA.

I really cannot wait until all the coverage is reviewed and analyzed. I believe the communications teams at NASA pulled-off a great event, which advanced their purpose.

Have you used an anniversary to successfully drive home your key messages to new audiences? Myself (and the rest of us here at BurrellesLuce) would like to hear about your success stories.

Obviously, BurrellesLuce has a vested interest in the health and livelihood of content rich-media, but even more important is the impact on society. While social media provides a plethora of information, there’s still a lack in substantive investigative journalism. The big outlets like The Tribune Company and Gannet use their resources to provide legal support to journalists to protect their sources and provide a means for an in-depth investigation. Without subscriber and advertiser support local resources are dwindling, paving the way for more AP stories and less real local insight. It’s too late to save The Rocky Mountain News and the Seattle Post Intelligencer, and these ten newspapers are likely to fold next. But support of the art form doesn’t have to end. I want to “Help a Reporter Out” (HARO) and support publications that employ investigative reporters.

Harvey Levin’s report was the catalyst for Northern Trust returning $1.6 billion dollars back to the taxpayers so imagine the return to power of investigative reporting nationally. Social media is amazing and I personally am fully engaged, but I also subscribe to my local paper. Is it worth your subscription and advertising support to ensure that not if, but when, another Watergate breaks we will get the whole story and not a headline report?

Let’s start with a challenge. DC PR professional Meghan Sager elaborated, “Pitching any stories that aren’t inauguration related in this media environment is very difficult. We’ve been focusing on planning and outreach to small papers that wouldn’t cover inauguration to begin with. If we were to try and pitch the (Washington) Post right now we’d just be spinning our wheels!” I talked with others who said they were focusing pitching longer leads after the inauguration.

Even though the Inauguration is a national event, it has offered great local opportunities. Recently, Gazette.net, Maryland Community Newspapers Online, provided advice from local retailers on preparing to attend the inauguration. Local and national retailers with local stores were afforded an opportunity to promote their wears. Likewise, local restaurants, especially those close to the National Mall, pitched their extended hours and other special promotions. Many started over a month ago, so they were sure to be included in the various inaugural guides.

A national brand with an interesting campaign is Pepsi-Cola North America Beverages for their Pepsi brand, themed “Refresh Everything.” Launched on New Year’s Eve, it encourages website visitors to post their messages to the new president.

Some of the best PR outreach came from local, state and federal governments. All have been very open to interviews with the press. Local governments even gained some coveted national press coverage. Their messages were unified and useful to their constituents. Most notably, they embraced several different forms of communication, including social media. For example, Arlington (VA) County Commuter Services encouraged commuters give live updates along with official updates on Twitter using hashtag #CarfreeJan20. As I monitored Twitter, yesterday, I saw its value, in real time, for commuters trying to get into the city.

Do you have an interesting story to share about your inaugural outreach? How will you take advantage of the next big media event? We’d love to hear your thoughts.

I represent the third generation in my family to work in the newspaper industry. My grandfather worked for the World Telegram and The New York Sun.  My father worked for the Long Island Star Journal and Electronic News. I have worked for USA Today, done freelance writing for many newspapers and magazines and now at BurrellesLuce.

As you may imagine, the current rumors that The New York Times could go out of business as soon as May, have left me rather shaken. In this month’s issue of The Atlantic, Michael Hirschorn notes that with more than $1 billion in current debt, and only $46 million in cash reserves as of October, when a $400 million revolving line of credit expires this May, the future of The New York Times will be in jeopardy.

Of course, most industry insiders speculate that The Times would not truly die, but would transform into a more profitable, digital only format. Is this such a bad thing?

While there is nothing more relaxing and enjoyable to me than a leisurely  Sunday morning with a cup of coffee and The New York Times spread out in front of me, during the hectic workweek, I get most of my news electronically. Unlike my college days, when I would read the Washington Post and The New York Times cover to cover, these days I rely on a seemingly infinite number of sources. The news doesn’t land at my doorstep; rather I am directed by what Google deems as “top” news of the day, or the content aggregated by an industry newsletter or an RSS feed. Lately, I have found more and more “breaking stories” as the result of the comments of a peer on Twitter or Facebook.

On PoynterOnline’s Biz Blog, while Rick Edmonds dismisses Hirschorn’s “End Times” he does envision the future of media to be fairly similar to the patterns I have already become quite comfortable with “getting your political news from Politico, your sports news from ESPN.com, your showbiz news from EW.com, your international news from an assortment of options, and your local news from somewhere to be determined? In short, the news would come from professionally reported and edited sites with standards — just not the single unifying standard of The New York Times or other quality publications.”

The fact is that newspapers such as The Times do still carry an impressive circulation. The current print version boasts a circulation of 1,000,665 for the daily edition and 1,438,585 on Sunday. The New York Times has a Net unduplicated print-online audience in the US of 22.4 million. While the number of sources for news continues to grow, the reputation The Times has earned for providing credible, trustworthy, and high quality news makes The New York Times brand more valuable than ever. The Times, along with other traditional print media, must simply continue to seek more profitable ways to harness the relationships they have built with their readers over the years.

What do you think? Is the death of newspapers imminent? I do not believe the real story belongs in the obituaries, but perhaps in the lifestyle section as newspapers undergo what is certain to be a dramatic makeover.

That said, there is another audience, one who does receive most of their news online. ComScore did a study on who is consuming traditional versus online media, which can help you identify where your audience is getting their news.

When pitching to a publication, a majority of the time, we are still pitching the print edition reporter or editor, a fact emphasized at two recent media panels I attended. (The Community Media Workshop recently hosted a similar panel and its website offers tips on pitching.) Although newsrooms are changing, most publications do not distinguish between their reporting staffs.

Last week, I met with a client to discuss their media analysis service. They use the print circulation for an article in their reporting, unless it only runs online. I made the case for using both the web audience numbers and the print circulation, because they are different audiences and they often have vastly different readerships. The client appreciated the idea and planned to take it to management.

What’s the point of my rambling? Both print and Internet publications have value. How you value them depends on your client, product or campaign.