During a recent event hosted by the Milwaukee Press Club, veteran journalist Chuck Todd of NBC’s Meet the Press shared his professional insights into the state of journalism and what the future may hold. Over the next decade, Todd predicted his profession’s landscape will shift slowly beyond the public scorn and skepticism cast on journalists during a deep political divide. He indicated that many print and broadcast newsrooms already decimated by staff reductions have been acquired by large news corporations, often more interested in online clicks and monetizing news than telling it like it is. Todd said another force that has turned people away from national news programs has been the public’s addiction to social media, which he said amplifies negativity and often sidesteps actual facts and data in favor of unsubstantiated opinion and innuendo.

It was refreshing to hear his optimistic vision for a future in which a more independent media will return to trust, community and embracing shared values. As public relations professionals who work with all forms of local and national media to hopefully share our clients’ stories, successes, challenges and key messages, having trustworthy, engaged and ethical journalists to work with via established communication channels is critical to our ongoing role as communicators.

In the wake of a year with once-in-a-lifetime headlines breaking almost daily, the demand for high-quality, trustworthy news reporting with a community focus is at an all-time high while traditional advertising revenue has dropped steadily. As such, across the country a shift toward non-profit journalism is popping up in local communities to help bridge the gap between nationalized cable news programming and the for-profit local news sources that are becoming fewer.

Todd insightfully posed thought-provoking questions to the audience such as, can a news organization be for-profit and maintain neutrality? Where and how is the money being made in journalism and how does that impact budgeting for stories in newsrooms?

While a trend toward non-profit news is easily justified by a corresponding decrease in advertising revenue, another key aspect of this shift is an opportunity to create news organizations independent from the influence of advertisers or large corporate owners. Evolving journalism from a commodity to more of a utility or public service model allows reporters the freedom to follow a story where the facts lead and deliver news responsibly.

According to the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism’s Tow Center, since March at least 66 media outlets have permanently closed their doors, and another 42 have been impacted by mergers and consolidations during the course of the pandemic. Most of those affected were local outlets independently operated or owned by small news chains. Of those affected were Chicagoland-based 22nd Century Media’s 15 for-profit newspapers in March 2020 — right as the news of the COVID-19 pandemic was breaking. In response, three 22nd Century Media reporters who found themselves unemployed and unable to reach readers when their services were needed the most started The Record North Shore, a non-profit newsroom covering hyperlocal government, schools, and businesses in the Chicago suburbs. After a successful crowdfunding campaign raised $60,000, The Record began publishing in October to fill the hole left behind from 22nd Century Media’s closure.

Additionally, in May of 2020, Chicago Reader transferred ownership to an Illinois non-profit, the Reader Institute for Community Journalism, after seeing a 90% decrease in advertising revenue amid the pandemic. Hyperlocal non-profit news organization Block Club Chicago was founded in 2018 and has since published more than 5,000 stories on Chicago’s neighborhoods, covered hundreds of community meetings and sends newsletters to more than 82,000 people daily. Most recently, investigative publication ProPublica announced it would expand its Midwest operations to cover Michigan, Wisconsin and Missouri in addition to Illinois which they have been reporting from since 2017, and perhaps most notably, The Baltimore Sun will separate from Tribune Publishing and will be preserved as a non-profit.

This new business model signifies a hopeful future for a diversified media ecosystem with high demand for quality journalism and established public trust.

Brian Knox is a PR veteran of more than 20 years and spent more than a decade in television news as a reporter and anchor. 

Be a Source of Reliable Information, Communicate Action and Preparedness

Whether it is Covid-19 (Coronavirus), H1N1, SARS or any other large-scale outbreak concerning your employees, customers, and community, it is important to show leadership, provide reassurance, and relay information factually and consistently during this time of unknowns.

It is your responsibility to be a calm resource in what is a tsunami of information swirling into your stakeholders’ lives at breakneck speed. If you haven’t yet communicated around your organization’s actions and preparedness, or if you wonder whether there is more you could be doing, now is the time to develop a plan and implement it.

Here are some communication tips to consider:

Stick to a reliable, unbiased source for information

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website is providing guidance related to everything from travel to treatment recommendations. There may be other local sources, such as your state health department, that are more relevant to what is happening in your community.

Another site to monitor is the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation to see how other businesses are responding to the virus’ impact and obtain tools such as posters to help inform and communicate about the virus to employees and customers.

Put together a coronavirus crisis team

Your team should be structured to handle rapidly evolving situations, establish protocols, policies, and procedures should escalating action be required, and assist you in staying abreast of and communicating recent developments concerning the virus. The team should be multi-disciplinary to cover technology, human resources, operations, legal and, of course, communications.

Performing a daily check in on updates, illness reports, travel policies, new resources available, and evolving health precautions will keep the team informed and aware of what might be on the horizon so all can be as prepared as possible.

Develop a mechanism for relaying information on a consistent basis

Whether it is in the form of your intranet or an email message to internal stakeholders, posts on your website, in retail, customer email updates, and/or social media posts, no amount of communication is too much.

In today’s world, it is expected that you will regularly advise people as to changes in operations, events or activities related to your business, actions and precautions being taken, and that you will find a channel to consistently reach your stakeholders. Regular and ongoing communication will instill and maintain trust in your organization.

Listen for what information is needed and communicate what you know right now

New information will continue to come in and your processes and steps will evolve as time goes on. As a communicator, it is as important to listen as it is to share. Listen to your employees, customers, and community and respond appropriately.

For example, new cleaning procedures were adopted and shared in near real time by Southwest Airlines with its Rapid Rewards members and posted on their website to address loud worries around safe travel.

Be nimble, flexible and most of all, show your human side

The situation seems to be changing by the hour. Make sure you let employees, customers, and other stakeholders know you are concerned for their well-being and taking measures to protect them. You can’t control the level of impact of the coronavirus, but you can influence how your business responds and the perception of your organization as a result.

People are much more understanding when they see you’re aware, that you care, and that you’re taking steps to minimize potential damage. The business disruption caused by coronavirus is likely to last for months and waiting to respond until something has happened in your state, industry, or office location is simply not an option.

Keeping employees and other key audiences fully informed illustrates your organization is ready to cope as best as possible. Taking appropriate communication steps now to present your organization as being well-prepared, thoughtful, and resilient, will enhance your corporate reputation long after the coronavirus runs its course.

Holly Haseley, APR, has over 30 years of experience in crisis communications, media relations, marketing and corporate communications, with a primary focus on the healthcare industry, working with skilled nursing centers, senior living communities, hospitals, rehabilitation centers and clinics throughout the United States and Canada.

Corporate crisis communications rules and guidelines are everywhere, and anyone working in communications likely has their own stories to share about a crisis averted or one handled well or one that could have been handled better. That’s the nature of the beast. While there are guidelines and rules of engagement, as one may call them, there is also a lot of gut reaction, hunches, experience-leveraging, straight-talking, emotional intelligence, news knowhow, empathy, ego-checking, and humbleness that are part of the formula for survival and, hopefully, success.

Having worked in crisis communications for 25 years, I have been through my share of true life-and-death tragedies I’d wish on no one, but also many reputational risks such as company or employee missteps, misunderstandings, or unfortunate interactions that become public and often turn viral.  

No two crises are the same. Yes, there are guidelines I preach, including:

• Assess the risk with a “worst-case scenario” skepticism
• Half an apology is often worse than none
• Make sure any action is meaningful action
• Don’t subject your company to Chinese water torture as a communication strategy

But more than ever, I believe managing through the communications of a crisis is much more of an art than a science, and it’s an art that needs to be practiced and refined to be its best at showtime.  

In this age of fake news, hacks, cameras everywhere, instantaneous sharing, video- going-viral-within-minutes, traditional and social media interplay, and short consumer-attention spans and memories, there’s really a war room mentality at the drop of the word “go,” and those on stage need to be ready. Having that crisis plan helps, but it’s not enough that it is on the share drive until needed. Without practice, you can’t expect your team to flawlessly perform. Your crisis communications plan, process and people need to be tested and always evolving as an insurance policy for your reputation, credibility and social license to operate.

If there is dust gathering on your plan or you’ve been finding it hard to sleep because you’re worried about the “what if,” now is the time refresh the plan and book colleagues for a practice drill so you, your team and your company are ready should the curtain be raised and you find yourself on stage with the spotlight on.

Kristine Naidl, APR, is the executive vice president and managing director of Laughlin Constable’s PR department. With her 25+ year career, she has led strategic communications for clients in a range of industries through even the most difficult of crisis situations.