Media and broadcast predictions for 2020 with the PRCA
With 2020 firmly on the horizon and the immoveable deadline of Christmas looming, ICG joined members of the PRCA for another of its 50th anniversary networking events.
Hosted by journalist and presenter, John Robb, the panel included freelance journalists Felicity Hannah and Angela Epstein alongside Simon Binns, Editor of Ladbible, Richard Moriarty, News Editor of The Sun and Liam Anderson from Social Chain Media. Here are some of the key take-aways.
Brexit
It’s everywhere and everyone is bored with it but it’s important and for a story to get traction it has to be better than Brexit.
‘Everyone does everything now’
Media outlets have more than one channel: podcasts, social media, print and digital editorial, video. For brands, it’s important to keep the tone of voice the same for all channels but make sure content is tailored and relevant to each audience. Sign of the times – the Washington Post has a Tik Tock profile.
Social media – the good, the bad and the ugly
Unregulated, lots of noise, citizen journalists, unpleasantness, armchair militants VS eyes and ears everywhere, live real-time response and genuine feedback.
Social media is a double-edged sword. A good deal of the panel discussion focused on how social media is unregulated and the truth is often blurred compared to the work of journalists who are trained and regulated. Newspapers were always considered the first draft of history.
But what media outlet can afford to be everywhere? Social media brings news to the public domain and it’s up to journalists to do the fact-checking.
Even digital news sources are now fact-checking more than ever before compared to the ‘devil may care’ attitude of a few years ago – they don’t want to make a mistake in front of millions of followers.
Know your audience
Social media creates niche, micro communities. Understand the entire social media landscape – go where your audiences hang out and learn it. Understand what works best for your brand and don’t try and be something you are not.
Old vs new
When does a newspaper just become a website? What’s the value of an exclusive when the story can be shared instantly?
Do we still go to the big media guns for the major events in our lives – the communal, shared experience of watching a national event unfold on TV? For many of us we now do both, often to get a different point of view.
Don’t underestimate the value of emerging sources of news – they can often carry the stories mainstream channels don’t cover.
And, do we revert to the old platforms when our devices have run out of juice and there’s no wifi signal?
Timing is everything
Whether it’s info-tainment content or a pioneering ‘one in a million’ news story, make sure the timing is right. And, remember, people love people.
Journalists
They still like being taken out for lunch.
ICG provides strategic marketing capabilities which help clients navigate the constanty changing face of media, PR, social and digital platforms. Our expert team provides valuable insights on how to reach audiences, delivering the strategy and tactics to engage, influence and create stand-out.
