Long-form short-form the way of the world in communications

One of the upsides of occupying roles with a variety of clients has been to observe how quickly various teams are adapting to and working with the “new” media environment.

In terms of broadcast communications many outfits are getting great value out of email subscriber services. A push email nicely branded and in article format with well curated written and visual content goes down a treat with sector audiences. Unlike the news media releases of old direct delivery content reaches its destination audience untouched. It does put a greater responsibility on the communications writer to deliver a higher quality product that not only informs but engages.

Another noticeable feature for me of 2016 has been that encounters with journalists has been less adversarial than in the past. Stereotypical behaviour of earlier years where editors cast themselves and their staff as the only true public interest story-tellers has mellowed. Now there seems to a better understanding that comms and pr practitioners too have a part to play in unearthing and bringing to the fore interesting and insightful stories about people, places and organisations.

Yet as mainstream publishing media revenues diminish the skills of online readers and viewers to discern what is of genuine interest and what is just click-bait has got harder.

As one of my former colleagues recently remarked, what seems a promising headline relating to an intriguing story about crime and policing so often now turns out not to be a story from New Zealand but an incident in far flung places overseas.

Then again the disturbing phenomena of “fake news” has reared its ugly head in 2016. A new twist on an old scam – remember the days of pro-forma invoicing for advertisements in so-called magazines which constituted a few hundred hard copies with copy purloined from handouts dropped into a sea of adverts for motels and other local businesses? Fake news sites do the same thing but in a much more visually appealing way.

Thank goodness that Facebook, that giant of the modern publishing world, has signalled a new fact checking service where by content purporting to be genuine will house an in-screen icon that will link to a fact-checking site.

With 2016 almost done, we look forward to an exciting 2017. The Commerce Commission will make its final determination on the NZME/Fairfax proposals. Whatever the outcome, further change on the local media scene is a given. We’ll also see the emergence of the Jennings-Murphy Newsroom venture – a subscriber edition in February and the freebie version in March. Follow this link for more information: Jennings-Murphy marketing literature

In essence, the media and communications world is experiencing tumult. It’s challenging and worrying but all so very fascinating too. All I can say is that it’s a privilege to work in and around this field and I look forward to seeing exactly what the next year will bring!

To you and yours have a very Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous new year…

Best wishes

Michael P