Why Media Kits are Great for Journalists & Your Company

Like Robert Duvall’s hairline, there’s no denying that the media landscape has changed drastically over the years. Long gone are the years of personal, close press relationships and picked up phone calls, and it’s no surprise why. Journalists are under more pressure than ever.

Immediacy

More people are consuming their news through digital platforms like social media, quick-read newsletter formats, and news sites. With this switch, they expect to receive their news immediately and free.

Journalists are under extreme pressure to post news stories quickly, sometimes at the cost of context and accuracy, but that’s a topic for another post.

Tipped Scales

Ad dollars have transitioned to the digital market and consumers have stopped paying for the newspaper. News media can’t afford to staff as many journalists as they used to. Journalists are spread thin over different beats and covering more news stories than ever.

Visual Demand

Consumers expect photos and videos to help understand the whole story. Creating this content requires time to for the journalist to visit and take photos or produce a video. As trained writers, not video producers and photographers, many times the quality of production is low.

Do the Math

Fewer Journalists + Higher Demand for Fast News + Increased Visual Support= a Big Problem.

Journalists simply can’t do it all.

The Solution: Provide the whole package with media kits.

So, here’s how we can help. Whenever possible we provide digital media kits. More than a press release, we include visual elements to aid in the story like photography, graphics or videos. Even if a journalist doesn’t run these elements, the visual aids can help them gain a full understanding of the content. Providing the digital element saves them the trip, the time, and ultimately helps them meet their requirements of their publication.

For clients that are telling their story often, we simplify the kit further by creating a press page on their website.  We fill the page with with professional photography, supplemental videos, bios and past releases, so journalist have one-stop access to all the information they need.

As PR professionals it’s our job to make it easier for journalists to write a story about our client. By taking the time to create a full package for journalists, we’re increasing our odds for coverage, helping shape the visuals within the story, and creating additional clarity for our clients.