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Keep Newspapers on Your Media Contact List

        Newspapers have not yet become obsolete. They are still read by millions of people every day. In fact, in many cases it is still the preferred media source for many people. Yes, the Internet brings us up to the minute news coverage, but the coverage changes with the minute. How many times have you gone to your favorite online news sources only to discover that six news stories have just been replaced?

        There’s also nothing like the “real” thing: people still like the tangible quality of holding and turning the printed page, even putting it down and picking it up at a later date. That’s especially good news for those who appear in weeklies and monthlies. This extended shelf life allows the news to linger for longer periods of time.

        In today’s climate, newspapers have found a way to remain competitive. For the most part, they are becoming more geographically focused and, in some cases, may be the only source for your community news. In this way, they have a highly targeted audience that many internet media sources lack.

        Someone wanting news about the South is more likely to pick up the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, for example, than the New York Times.  And if someone else wanted to know what is going on all over the United States, he or she would probably pick up a copy of the USA Today. This is true as well for newspapers that focus upon specific themes, such as Wall Street Journal, Family Life, etc.

Even in this age of downsized newspapers and shrinking newsroom staff, there is a steady stream of community oriented publications. Printed monthly, weekly, and/or daily, like The Creative Loafing they appear in a variety of cities across the country. 

Print media (newspapers) have a “shelf life”, a period of time they are kept for purposes of reading or re-reading. This is a convenience enjoyed by those who want to take their time perusing  the news or who want to hold onto a report or story for research purposes (homework, for example). Another convenience feature is accessibility. Unlike internet news, the hard copy pages can be read anywhere. You do not have to turn on a computer or any other electronic device to access the information. You are also independent of electrical outlets, WiFi, internet access cables.

        And that’s a plus for someone who wants to sit in the park or the beach while taking in their news.

        Circulation numbers for print may not be as high as they used to be, but they are still significant. Take a look at these numbers (provided by circulation or advertising departments) for select newspapers across the country:

Atlanta Journal - Constitution
Five consecutive daily issues: 1.8 million

Over the course of four Sundays - 2.1 million

USA Today
2,284,219

New York Times
Daily-1,077,256
Sunday 1,476,400

LA Times
Daily - 773,884
Sunday - 1,101,981

Creative Loafing

Weekly - 130,000

        Clearly, there are still quite a few people who read newspapers.

        So how do you get your news (business) in the newspaper?  The guaranteed approach is to purchase advertising space. Marketing experts report that successful ad campaigns require a frequency of at least 4 times within a short period of time (10-14 days). While frequency of visibility an important factor in the success of any advertising campaign, you may find the cost exceeds your budget.

        You can also create the news.  Think about providing a free seminar to offer information based upon your expertise or consider how you, your services and/or products could becoming involved in community work. Then do it and let the media know! Anytime you do something newsworthy be sure a timely one page press release is submitted to the right news reporters. This is something you can do yourself or you can hire a professional to do for you.

        Because public relations professionals already have established connections with journalists and editors, they can effectively guide your news to the right desk. They are skilled at creating compelling press releases and at working within media systems. For example, public relations professionals will use one time table for print, and another for radio or TV. In many cases they determine the approach (most effective and relevant news angles) and this saves you a great deal of time.

        Even though the newspaper industry is experiencing a decline in readers (subscribers) and advertisers, it is still a viable media outlet certainly not to be overlooked. As long as there are people who would rather hold a newspaper in their hands than read news on the Internet, there will be newspapers. And these media outlets are still looking for relevant and timely news pitches. So be sure to keep the newspapers on your media contact list.

About the Author

Karen Pierce Gonzalez of Karen Pierce Gonzalez Public Relations has more than twenty five years of media/public relations experience and three decades of experience as a professional writer/writing facilitator with several literary awards to her credit.
She works with individuals, organizations and media systems to develop successful media campaigns. Her clients have included the Arts Council of Sonoma County, Connections: A Forum For Women In Business, North Bay Black Chamber of Commerce, Marin Museum of the American Indian, Lucky Dog Theatre, Health At Your Fingertips, Santa Rosa Concert Association, KR Martindale Show Management, Wine Country Polo Club, LifeWorks, and Petaluma Build It Green.
Her non-fiction and fiction writing credits include 5 years as contributor to The San Francisco Chronicle, 5 years on staff at Marin Independent Journal, 2 years with North Bay Biz, and 8 years as creative writing facilitator for the Harvest Gathering at Napa Valley College. Literary awards include Pushcart Prize nominee.
In all areas, she works with individuals and groups interested in clearly communicating their personal and professional messages to the media.

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