They’ve each reached the pinnacle of journalism. Now they have senior jobs in PR at FINN Partners. John Seigenthaler and Katie Seigenthaler are concerned about the state of the news business and feel ethical PR practice can help. They discussed this with Doug Simon, CEO of D S Simon Media, on the latest PR’s Top Pros Talk video podcast.
Doug opens the conversation by addressing the current challenges in the news industry. “Disastrous, horrible, terrible shape,” John states bluntly. “Thousands of jobs have been lost in local news and national news across the country. Newspapers are closing. It’s not a good situation.” He notes that this year has started with significant layoffs at notable publications like the L.A. Times and The Washington Post.
Katie points out that while the state of the news is poor, there are significant opportunities for PR professionals, especially with local news. “The opportunity lies in the fact that these folks are people’s neighbors. They know them. They see them around. If there is trust at all, it’s at the local level,” she says. This trust, she argues, can be leveraged to build stronger, more effective PR campaigns.
John concurs, adding that the shortage of reporters creates a unique opening for PR professionals to provide valuable content. “Local news in many markets rely on PR professionals to provide them with some content. Your survey suggests that one of the ways to do that is through satellite media tours,” he notes. This method not only benefits clients by getting them on broadcast television but also offers local news stations affordable content.
Doug highlights a survey finding that producers prefer interviewing in-house spokespeople over third-party experts by a 3 to 1 margin. Trust in local TV news remains strong, with both Democrats and Republicans favoring it over social media and network news by a significant margin.
The conversation then turns to the critical role of ethics in PR. “Let me talk a little bit about FINN Partners because I think the DNA of FINN Partners really revolves around ethical behavior,” John explains. He stresses the need for accurate and fair storytelling, especially as newsrooms increasingly depend on PR for information.
Katie agrees, noting that ethical PR is more crucial than ever. “It makes it very important that we as PR professionals adhere to a code of ethics,” she says. Representing clients who share similar values and being transparent about those representations is key to maintaining credibility.
Addressing the challenge of disinformation, Katie advises playing the long game. “Keep telling the true story, and you’ll be all right ultimately,” she says. Both John and Katie underscore the importance of truth-telling in building and maintaining trust.
In closing, John highlights the rewarding opportunities for journalists transitioning to public relations, emphasizing that truthfulness builds trust. Katie concurs, urging PR professionals to consistently tell the truth and maintain honesty in all dealings, as it will ultimately prevail.
D S Simon Media is well known as a leader in the satellite media tour industry and produces tours from its studio and multiple control rooms at its New York headquarters. Clients include top brands in healthcare, technology, travel, financial services, consumer goods, entertainment, retail and non-profits. Established in 1986 the firm has won more than 100 industry awards.