DEAD OR ALIVE? THE MEDIA IN WA
It is one of the most famous cases of a misquote — the so-called words of American writer Mark Twain that “reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” The essence of the quote is correct, but apparently, those were not precisely the words he used when responding to a newspaper story that he was gravely ill.
But putting Mark Twain aside for now, the response that matters more today is in answer to the extent to which newspapers are on their deathbeds. More broadly, the extent to which all traditional media channels, notably press, television, and radio, are about to be lowered six feet under.
The answer, of course, depends very much on who you speak to and the city, region or country you are talking about. On the one hand, if you speak to a newspaper sales rep, circulation is soaring, while the head of a digital advertising platform will tell you traditional media was dead and buried a decade ago.
Like many things in life, I believe the truth lies somewhere in between, but for very different reasons than those I often hear about. In terms of commercial value, the numbers don’t lie. You can spin the ratings and circulation figures as much as you like, but a broadcaster or publishing company’s share price will always cough up the truth. I am no stock analyst, but there is no doubt that the revenue models that once made newspapers, TV, and radio stations worthwhile investments have hit the skids. (Well, they’ve fallen off a cliff and lie like a smouldering wreck at the bottom of a deep ravine judging by individual share valuations now, compared to even a decade ago.)
And yes, I think the speed at which the traditional media locomotive is heading over the greasy precipice has accelerated in the past 12-18 months — even here in Perth.
In the few quieter moments I’ve had with quite a few senior media people in this town recently, they’re all quite candid about the extent to which their jobs and the jobs of the people who report to them are under threat. I am unsure if the WA branch of the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance has done a count, but I am guessing that the number of senior journalists on their membership books still employed 38 hours per week has plunged somewhat over the past few years. The two main players in town these days, Seven West Media and Nine, are both a shadow of their former selves in terms of head count. To be fair, you can hardly blame senior management; it was once famously said that the first job of any newspaper editor is to make a profit (unless, of course, you are at the ABC). No profit, no basis for existence. Period.
So, does that mean traditional media is entirely without relevance? Yes and no. Here goes that equivocation again! Sorry folks, it depends! Unquestionably, the rolling up of the old Community Newspaper group into Perth Now has killed off the good old days when even a half-decent PR Hack could get their story published in the local rag. And, looking at audience numbers for the nightly news programs here in Perth these days, the glory days are well past us. As for daily newspapers, I can only base my observations on what I see when I glance around my local café in the mornings: Generally, anyone leaning over the morning paper has a lot of grey in their hair; anyone under the age of 55 with their original hair colour is staring at a small screen.
However, there are two key reasons why I think it’s a mistake for anyone to write off the role and influence of traditional media platforms. The first is simply that while the average person is just as likely to consume their news on their mobile phone rather than the lounge room telly, the news content itself is still largely reliant on the output of the mainstream news organisations. Take Apple News as an example. There is not one single item on this platform that was originally generated — every single story is sourced from a traditional newspaper, TV news outlet, or radio station. So content origination, regardless of where that content is consumed, is still very much almost solely driven by good old-fashioned news hacks.
Second, and very much linked to the above, while there are an increasing number of keyboard warriors out there in social media land punching above their weight, it is still traditional journalists and professional media commentators or (dare I say it) shock jocks that wield the greatest power when it comes to influencing public opinion. Yes, it is less potent than before, but it is still significant, and traditional media is still the most dominant player in setting the agenda for public and political debate. The era of the “citizen journalist” is well and truly here, but I think, with some exceptions, their capacity to match the influence of mainstream media in setting the tone for political debate, especially, is often over-stated.
So, before anyone aged below 50 goes off to check their Insta feed and I head off to do the cryptic crossword in today’s West, how do we wrap this all up? In short, if you’re a PR, communications or marketing professional looking to use traditional media to reach the bulk of the population in one hit — forget it. Those days are gone. (Except if you are (Gerry) Harvey Norman or someone selling fridges and TV sets…those guys do seem to be keeping the faith.)
But don’t write off the INFLUENCE of traditional media or its role in influencing public opinion or setting agendas in the public discourse. Rumours of its death, in this regard, may be greatly exaggerated.
For more insights and ramblings on strategic business communications and marketing from JLCA Director John Le Cras, visit the JLCA Journal page.
