I was taking some lectures on how media evaluation is necessary and why PR practitioners should study what media (here print and television) publicizes about them.It struck me though that with effective media relations practices more or less a practitioner would know what the media would write about the client. Then why evaluate? One would only worry about no. of articles in coverage. Is it really so? What are your views?
On the other hand my stakeholders can write about my products or organisation and I have no stakeholder relations to control. Thus the medium in question the Internet is a place which allows this. Also word of mouth through other sources. So don't these mediums need evaluation more than others? This also brings to attention another point, isn't stakeholder relations an issue to worry about?
What are your views?
Your topic contains several aspects and it might take a few hours to explain each one. But here's a view in brief. Media evaluation is nothing but stakeholders evaluation in a manner of speaking. When you have a country of 1.2 bn people, mass media is the only way you can evaluate what they 'think'. I'm talking about 25 yrs back when professional PR started in India. Even today, journalists are not just individuals but opinion makers because of what they can do with their pen. Whether its today or 25 yrs ago, controlling media output was always with a view to control one's reputation among masses. Media is just what it literally means - a medium.
ReplyDeleteThe social media, however, has changed a lot of things. It has created millions of online journalists. Each online individual is now acting exactly how a journalist does - broadcasting views, reporting incidents, sharing product experiences, talking about travel, etc etc. Suddenly now, companies and brand managers have a new "medium" that leads them directly to their consumers. And it's huge. So are the ramifications.
Thanks Aarif. It will interesting to note how internet will impact PR communication.
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