Is Traditional Journalism Dying?
A few years ago, there were many articles about the death of traditional journalism. Isn’t it ironic that the death of journalism was being talked about in article form? Traditional journalism, is in fact, what has caused the success of many businesses. Without it, what does that leave us to depend on? Learning how to weave your way through a “dying” notion by making it “new” is a tactic that can impact you and your business in a positive matter.
What is Traditional Journalism?
Ask most people what traditional journalism is and you’ll get different answers. It all depends on their age. For some, traditional journalism means newspapers and news coverage in those newspapers.
It’s true that newspaper publication and subscription has significantly declined over the past few years. People don’t subscribe to or read print newspapers anymore because of the internet.
Other people will say that traditional journalism is the news on the television. Well, viewership amongst millennials and people under the age of 35 is down. Millennials are on tablets, smartphones, and laptops. They opt for the more “modern” versions of television. But, those over 30 and certainly those over 50, still watch their daily news programs.
Younger people will say that traditional journalism is alive and well because they consume their news online. They follow sites like CNN.com, HuffingtonPost, The Washington Post and so on. Instead of receiving news traditionally via newspapers or watching television, they simply search online.
So, is traditional journalism dying? Yes and no – it depends on who you ask.
There are still papers, daily news programs, and online news websites and feeds. The bottom line, there’s still a way to get your daily information – even if it means that you’re following news feeds on Twitter. Journalists are just as busy as ever, probably even more! In this age of digital information, the “Need it Now” stance factors in greatly. They always have to be on the edge of their seat waiting for the latest breaking news around the globe.
What Does This Mean for You?
For the business owner who is looking to create a strong press and public relations strategy, the evolution of news access is important. You want to make sure you:
- Know how old your audience is
- Know how your audience prefers to access their media and news
- Know what format your audience prefers to get their information in (for example, video versus print)
- Know the media representatives that your audience pays attention to
- Know how to build relationships with those media representatives
Traditional journalism isn’t dying, it’s evolving. The old ways are still here and every day new means of accessing news and information are being utilized. Know how to tap into those systems and media outlets and you can connect with your audience and make sure that the news you have to share reaches them.
