Kaiser Lachance Communications
Over the past decade, the Canadian media landscape has evolved dramatically. Traditional media outlets have given way to the rise and prevalence of social media, creating a fundamental shift in the way media is produced and consumed. In this new digital age, national and regional outlets of all sizes are experiencing newsroom consolidations, take-overs and even closures.
At KLC we continually strive to stay at the forefront of these changes, constantly adapting and creating new strategies to successfully navigate these challenges and find new ways to leverage opportunities to drive success to our clients.
Shrinking Newsrooms – The New Norm
Newsrooms across the country are shrinking. Combine this with the sharp decline in local community papers, and these are two of the many major challenges today’s public relations professionals are facing.
A report from The Toronto Star noted that, over the past decade, approximately 140 local and community papers have either folded or ceased publication altogether – resulting in the creation so called “news deserts,” limiting news diversity and reducing the overall quality of news we consume.
Over the past year alone, significant changes have crated additional challenges for the PR industry, including Vice Quebec’s announcement to centralize operations in Toronto (June 2019), a voluntary severance program offered by the Globe and Mail to its employees in an effort to cut costs and staff (May 2019), and the Canadian Press’ decision to lay off six of its reporters (February 2019).
KLC is developing tailored strategies to respond to this transformation, to help our clients with strategic and comprehensive media relations programs. Some of the elements of our approach include:
Building New Relationships: As Canadian newsrooms continue to shrink, we have adapted by quickly building relationships with new editorial teams, new journalists and journalists covering new topics. We provide copy-ready content and well-prepared subject matter experts to help them quickly gain confidence in their new beats.
Rapid Timelines: Reporters are now working against tighter deadlines, sometimes covering multiple topics that may be out of their normal beat. Working closely with our clients, we provide journalists with extra time to prepare, pitch their editorial teams and do the legwork in advance (research, spokesperson training and background prep) to help familiarize them with the topic.
The Wire: If Media Ratings Points (MRP) are one of your clients’ ROI measurements, reduced staff and greater reliance on wire services has created an opportunity to concentrate our media approaches to give more relevance to networks. This gives us the ability to maintain consistent media impressions despite a reduced number of original articles.
And more… At KLC we are taking these new challenges head on. Our team is made up of a diverse team of professionals, including former journalists, with an in-depth understanding of the industry and the media landscape. Let us help you futureproof your earned media strategy.