With the purchase of The Washington Post by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos, right after fellow Billionaire John Henry bought The Boston Globe, the changes in media stand to be immense. And with the billionaire Koch Brothers reportedly in negotiations to buy The Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune, clearly the media landscape has entered a new era.
And each of these newspapers have little vision to make money – and are hemorrhaging cash. Owning a top 20 Public Relations Agency, as I wrote in my book. “For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results with Game-Changing Public Relations” I say that “This brave new world of information dissemination is unfortunate for the many great old-school journalists out there.”… and as I say media will increasingly morph towards “what happens in Europe, Russia, Latin America, and many other countries in the world, where the wealthiest people own media to serve their purposes.”
“The United States has an advantage in that the ruling class doesn’t have as much unrestricted power as it does in other countries. As long as average people have access to publishing, printing, and broadcasting, inde-pendent voices can and will be heard. No matter how reporting and technology changes the way news is delivered, news and feature stories will continue to be written, and readers will continue to look for information—and they know how to find it. The digital world means they can bring their own utensils and dig in.” (Ronn Torossian, 2011, p. 126-127)
Getting positive media coverage is increasingly difficult and will not become any easier. Trying to build a brand today is like giving a speech in a concert hall while the New York Philharmonic is playing Beethoven. A couple of people on the sidelines might notice you, but can they actually hear what you’re saying?
About Ronn Torossian
Ronn Torossian is the Founder and CEO of 5W Public Relations. He is an experienced leader in the public relations industry with over 20 years of experience. Ronn Torossian has been named as Public Relations executive of the year by the American Business Awards, and has run countless award-winning Public Relations programs.