While there are a multitude of communication tools your organisation can use to tell your positive stories and get your messages across, few are as influential as traditional media. And while media engagement needs to be approached strategically and thoughtfully, if your organisation is not telling its stories through media, you could be missing out.

Some of the reasons your organisation should consider engaging with the media include:

It’s a powerful and influential communication tool

While newsrooms may be shrinking, traditional media is still an incredibly powerful communication tool. It has the ability to start conversations and public debate, influence public opinion, educate and inform audiences on important issues, hold those in power to account, influence government decisions and policy, and shine a light on injustice or personal plights.

If your organisation wants to do any of those things, then communicating with, and through, media needs to be part of your communication strategy.

Media can reach a much larger audience than you can.

Even if you have thousands of followers on social media and excellent read rates on your company newsletter, the media can amplify your organisation’s messages and reach audiences far beyond those you can reach through your own channels.

The media can be an extremely effective way of reaching the ‘general public’ which is particularly helpful if you are trying to spark debate, shine a light on an issue or shape public opinion and influence government policy.

While media companies can reach millions of people through news bulletins and programs on TV and radio, and through print and online stories, they then amplify the reach of their own stories through their social channels, which can reach hundreds of thousands more people.

All your stakeholders consume media stories

While your company’s own communication channels and government engagement may reach many of your stakeholders directly, the media is another channel to communicate with your stakeholders in a different way and reinforce your messages. Your organisation’s members, staff, potential employees and customers are all likely to consume some form of news.

Other stakeholders such as government, policy makers and regulators consume news, and will generally receive daily monitoring clips of relevant news stories. In many instances, when an issue has been raised through the media, those in power will be forced to respond, which can be an effective way of affecting change if your direct engagement hasn’t worked.

Build positive capital

If your company is doing great things and manages to secure a bank of positive media stories over time, this will help to enhance your company’s reputation. This can be particularly helpful if something not-so-positive happens to your company. If the organisation has already established trust with media and stakeholders and has a reputation as a good operator, you’re more likely to be treated fairly by media when something negative happens.

In a crisis, your organisation can get information out quickly

If the worst happens, and your company needs to communicate with a wide audience quickly, the media can be an incredibly effective communication tool, amplifying your message far wider and faster than you can through your own channels (although you would use these in conjunction with media engagement).

For more information on our media relations services, please contact ReGen Strategic.

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