A fortnight ago came the sad news that Reach PLC are making 321 editorial roles redundant and is calling it its “biggest reorganisation ever”. Reach explained that these changes are reflective of not only Artificial Intelligence (AI) but also the change in how audiences consume news.
Firstly, the team at Conteur would like to extend our sympathies to the journalism community and wish well to anyone whose role and livelihood may be affected by Reach PLC’s restructuring.
While newsrooms sadly shrink, this situation does have the opportunity to be a turning point for independent or niche news and media outlets alike.
So what does the restructure mean for journalism and how can PR practitioners adapt to the changing landscape? Read on to explore what redundancies might mean for (local) journalism, PRs and beyond.
What the redundancies mean for local journalism
Unfortunately, it’s not the best of times for the most community-driven of audiences.
With fewer journalists, the capacity to cover news that is important to small local communities will drop, and local journalism will continue to dwindle. Not only does this risk members of smaller communities feeling disconnected or uninformed but it puts local accountability and representation at risk. Council meetings, grassroots campaigns, cultural events and even local sports. They are all at the risk of being pushed out in favour of clickable, sharable content, instead of less enticing but real news grounded in local affairs.
As public relations practitioners, it also affects us professionally. It is so much harder to build relationships with local journalists, when those journalists aren’t in the newsroom anymore. Long gone are the days of picking up the phone and calling their office, they’re either working from home – or not working for publications at all. Journalists who are left are timestrapped and unable to build or maintain relationships.
Despite this outlook, there are opportunities. From the ashes of newsrooms and community newspapers, rise phoenixes ready to report on the niche and hyperlocal.
The rise of independent and niche media
PRs, finding your niche might be more important than ever before. Where gaps are being left by legacy media, smaller publications are filling them in.
Bloggers, podcasters, Substackers and other content creators are becoming the trusted experts among their communities.
More voices are coming through, which means more opportunity for coverage but more importantly, connection. The media ecosystem is rapidly becoming more diverse and there are no signs of it slowing down.
Those passionate enough to build their own audiences and communities could end up being a PR’s biggest ally in securing earned media that engages, informs and converts.
As we all know, it isn’t always about quantity, but quality. A mention from a creature with a smaller but far more engaged audience could be the ticket, whether it’s online visibility you want or the validation of offline word-of-mouth.
Challenges for PR practitioners and how to adapt to the new normal
To recap so far, those working in PR will, if they’re not already, face the following challenges:
- Reduced journalist pools:
- It’s going to be harder to build relationships when there are fewer local reporters.
- The remaining ones are overstretched, making personal rapport more difficult. The old school ‘schmoozing’ of journalists is unlikely to be sustainable unless you already have a very close relationship with them.
- It’s going to be harder to build relationships when there are fewer local reporters.
- Fiercer competition for coverage:
- The PR to journalist ratio is shifting. According to data from last year, journalists are outnumbered by PRs by 9,000 – you and your competitors are likely pitching to the same pool of people. So make it something special.
- Journalists are less likely to cover more niche stories unless they have clear audience relevance. Increasing click-through rate targets are forcing journalists to only write about the news stories that are the most relevant to their audiences. This means that PRs need to make sure that they are meticulously researching who to send their stories to, or risk it being binned or worse, getting blacklisted by a journalist who does not have time to deal with irrelevant stories.
- The PR to journalist ratio is shifting. According to data from last year, journalists are outnumbered by PRs by 9,000 – you and your competitors are likely pitching to the same pool of people. So make it something special.
- Changing expectations:
- Like it or not, if you want to increase the likelihood of being covered by a journalist, you need to be sending ‘ready-to-publish’ assets (think images, quotes and data) packaged up in an easily accessible format. Yes, a good data-driven or human-interest story can break through the noise, after all ‘content is king’, but helping journalists to help you can make a lot of difference.
- There is more demand for video, infographics and digital-first material than ever before – journalists don’t have time to make it, but they know that audiences want more of it. Working with clients to create engaging digital-first content can be the difference between coverage and your emails getting left at the bottom of an inbox.
Practical advice for PRs navigating the new digital landscape
If you’re trying to stand out and be seen by your target journalists, try:
- Strengthening journalist relationships wherever possible. As previously mentioned, this doesn’t mean tracking them down for a coffee or something stronger. This means respecting time pressures, keeping pitch emails concise, providing content packages and only sending content relevant to them.
- Thinking like a platform. If you’re a consumer, start thinking like a publisher. What would audiences find useful? Yes, you’re pitching to a journalist but ultimately, you’re pitching what you think readers, viewers and listeners would be interested in. Make sure what you pitch is valuable.
- Leveraging owned channels. Not all coverage needs to be earned. Using your owned media means you have a direct line to audiences who are already at least somewhat interested in you or your organisation. Using owned media also means you can help to control your narrative and help with reputation management, and will complement hard-earned media opportunities.
- Collaborating with independent media. Pitching to independent media and focusing on getting media from hyperlocal or niche creators can increase the likelihood of coverage. It can also flag to search engines (and humans!) that you or your organisation is trustworthy and are experts in the field.
- Exploring partnerships and opportunities beyond press releases and pitching. Community sponsorships and programming, co-hosting events and guest speaking can help raise awareness and build authority.
- Thinking digital-first. As we know, journalists and outlets are increasingly prioritising shareworthy content. They’re also prioritising live coverage, social-friendly formats and SEO-optimised content. Be sure to adapt messaging to be more visual, immediate and sharable.
Conclusion
The restructuring at Reach is a sobering reminder of the challenges facing journalism – and most importantly, of the people behind the headlines. Our sympathies go out to those talented professionals whose jobs and livelihoods have been affected. The human cost of shrinking newsrooms should never be overlooked.
For PR practitioners, the landscape is undeniably changing. Traditional avenues to coverage are narrowing, but new opportunities are emerging in independent outlets, niche creators and digital-first platforms. These voices are reshaping how audiences consume and trust news.
To adapt, PRs must be more strategic, empathetic and resourceful than ever before: respecting journalists’ limited time, offering real value with ready-to-use assets, and thinking creatively about how to tell stories across platforms. Just as importantly, PRs have a role to play in ensuring that the community-driven stories at risk of being lost still find a way to be told.
At its best, PR doesn’t just fill the gaps left by shrinking newsrooms – it helps keep vital conversations alive.