The grim state of the economy is not news, and when it hits a key component of your public affairs and lobbying programs, it’s time for a serious reassessment and plan for how to compensate for the loss.
The outplacement firm of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. keeps tabs on job losses and recently reported that “The Media sector announced the highest job cuts on record in 2020, according to Challenger tracking. This industry, which includes television and movie production, news, and advertising, announced 30,711 cuts. This is 201% higher than the 10,201 cuts announced in the sector in 2019. … Of the media cuts announced this year, 16,160 occurred in broadcast, digital, and print news.”
One of the distinctions separating Kabateck Strategies from other public affairs firms is the premium it places on media outreach. Yes, the traditional media have shrunk in size due to the ability every Tom, Dick, and Harry now has to be their own media thanks to the internet. But that has made the traditional media, newspapers, TV, radio, even more important as a fact checker, verifier, and credible alternative source.
Shrinking newsrooms have made getting through to those reporters remaining twice as hard. Gone are the days when you could blast a news release out into the communications atmosphere and expect a little coverage for your cause. Here, now, are the days that having a prior relationship with a reporter is more important than ever for a simple reason: He or she can be juggling three or four stories a day and as a necessity – and matter of survival – needs to call people they have a prior relationship with for a quote or for background.
Kabateck Strategies has recently helped clients Associated Builders And Contractors Northern California and National Federation of Independent Busines get their messages into such California media as the Los Angeles Times, The Sacramento Bee, radio powerhouses such as KNX in Los Angeles, KCBS in San Francisco, and on the television affiliates of the major networks up and down the state.
We pride ourselves on the public affairs strategies we have developed, a key component of which is strong media outreach, the jet fuel that gives your lobbying and public affairs messages that extra boost.
If you think a strong media presence is important, too, give us a call or drop us an email for a free consultation.
