Journalists, PR Officers and Social Media

Don't look now but there is new sheriff in town and it is called social media. Traditional ways of connecting inside and outside the field of communication such as press releases, memos to the staff, letters to friends and simple phone calls - to name a few - are being dropped into a giant blender and shaken and stirred like never before. We do not know how they are they are going to turn out when the blender switch is turned off, but, assuming they even survive, it is a safe bet they will not be the same. I believe a greater need and desire for interaction on the part of the users of social media is what is driving this revolution. People still hunger for information, but now they want to be able to talk about it, critique it, share it, and play a more active role in the entire exchange process. As a result, new communication vehicles such as twitter, facebook, text messages and blogs are very much takign over the neighborhood.

Even now, one long-standing relationship in professional communication is beginning to feel the impact of this revolution. I am talking about journalists and public relations officers. For well over a half century practitioners in each field have co-existed half begrudgingly at best. Conventional wisdom perceives journalists as seekers of the let-the-chips-fall-where-they-may truth while public relations types are on-hand to promote their client and, in doing so, work closely with reporters in shaping stories to reflect specific facts and perspectives. In today's world, what has emerged is a codependent relationship where their working together has become much more routine than not. I will leave to another entry the question of whether this is a positive or negative turn of events, but either way it is a reality of our times.

Journalists and public relations officers will continue to work together. Each will remain dependent on the other to communicate their stories and messages. But the debate as to which profession needs the other the most is quickly becoming irrelevant. The emergence of social media is replacing that question with a bigger one: What can journalists and public relations officers be doing to remain connected to their audiences? Readers and viewers and listeners want greater involvement and interaction. Journalists and public relations officers are going to have to figure out how best to tap into this trend. As a result, rightly or not, the two may find they need each other more than ever.