PRPLI kicked off December with a fresh perspective on Long Island’s ever-evolving media landscape thanks to Jaci Clement, CEO & Executive Director of the Fair Media Council. In her December 8 webinar via Zoom, Jaci covered it all– from an overview of our local news ecosystem to how an audience impacts story pitching.
Here are some key takeaways from Jaci’s webinar to help PRPLI members successfully navigate Long Island’s media landscape:
Know Your Markets
Jaci gave an insightful overview of Long Island’s past, present, and future media landscape, stressing the importance of familiarization with the local media markets.
Long Island’s print market consists of 165 printed community weekly newspapers. Compared to areas of the county with twice Long Island’s population, they have less than half that amount of printed community weekly newspapers. Long Island is its own radio market, bouncing between the 19th and 20th largest radio market in the country, out of about 210 nationwide.
Jaci’s thorough overview was bolstered by Fair Media Council’s exclusive member resources, including data visualization maps of local print reporters on Long Island, radio stations located on Long Island, contour maps of New York television reach, and a general overview of coverage across the island.
Pitch to the Media’s Audiences
Jaci highlighted how Long Island is part of the New York Metro area television demographic, the number one television market out of just over 300 nationwide. We’re part of New York television– not overshadowed by it– which affects how Long Island media professionals need to shape pitches. When pitching larger media outlets with widespread geographic reach, it’s important to appeal to that broader audience to leverage the exposure that comes with being part of that number one TV market.
Utilize the Resources Available to You
Jaci acknowledged how public relations professionals are more than just consumers, as we play an active role in the news ecosystem. Organizations like the Fair Media Council provide us with resources and connections that help professionals in our fieldwork smarter, and they advocate to keep local news local so we have places to pitch our stories.
Stay Informed
Jaci gave insight into significant changes to come with several key Long Island media players and stressed the importance of vigilance as the landscape continues to evolve.
As outlets consolidate, it creates more competition for local coverage. As other outlets expand their reach, there is more opportunity for coverage. Staying apprised of these changes will help inform your pitches for the best chance of coverage.
Jaci also touched on “fake news.” Misinformation is a big problem in media today, especially for consumers– know where your news is coming from.
About Jaci Clement
Considered the most influential media scholar in the world today, Jaci Clement is the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of the Fair Media Council. She is often interviewed on media trends, and how business and regulatory changes in the media industry impact news and the public’s right to know.
