The Inner Circle Round Up: Media News You Can Use December 2019
Welcome to the December edition of the Inner Circle Round Up. 2019 was a treasure trove of new opportunities and ways to approach PR activities. In 2020, we hope to find more digital focused opportunities as we continue to expand our own digital offerings at Scott Circle Communications.
This month, we’ve found new newsletters, election coverage teams and broadcast shows. And as promised, we’ve also checked up on some of the opportunities we shared throughout the year, and are back with a few updates.
Follow us on Twitter and share any opportunities you came across this month at @ScottCircle.
Media News You Can Use…
NBC News: New Election Security Team
NBC News has assembled a new editorial team dedicated to election security coverage. The team is made up of senior journalists, including investigative, justice, technology, and national security, business and misinformation beats. The editorial content, ranging from “voter security, including social media misinformation as well as voting machine and technology issues” will live on a separate landing page, as well as appear on broadcast and other channels.
The Inner Circle Take: Last month we saw news outlets expanding their election coverage, and the new election security team from NBC follows this trend. Election security has been a hot button issue since the 2016 election and it is admirable that NBC has dedicated so many resources to ensure the public is informed about this topic. If you work in the election security space, research the new reporters on the team and consider pitching them.
PBS: LGBTQ+ focused show announced
PBS is creating new content that will focus on the “issues affecting LGBTQ+ community.” According to Axios, there will be a digital series with around 12 videos and a broadcast show. More details will be announced in the new year.
The Inner Circle Take: It’s always great to shine a spotlight on communities that might not get as much attention in traditional media. While many details are still unknown, the new programming from PBS provides an opportunity for organizations working in this space and for groups looking to reach LGBTQ+ community.
The Informant: New Newsletter Focusing on Hate and Extremism
Nick Martin, a reporter who has spent his career covering hate and extremism, plans to launch a new newsletter, The Informant. Created in response to the rise in hate groups and extremism, The Informant aims to provide quality news to help the public better understand the crisis. The newsletter will launch January 6.
The Inner Circle Take: In 2019, we saw many news organizations and journalists start newsletters that provide a deeper look on specific topics. While newsletters have become a popular choice for consumers, they are also becoming a bigger target for PR pros. We know that not all news warrants an entire feature story, and a mention in newsletter is sometimes a more appropriate approach. For those organizations working to solve or are affected by the rise of hate and extremism, this newsletter should be on your radar.
Cheddar, a video news network that covers products, tech and services, plans to launch a political show, Cheddar Capital, that will be based out of D.C. The show, intended for millennials, will be 30 minutes long and will feature interviews and roundtables. Cheddar Capital is set to launch early next year.
The Inner Circle Take: While details on the types of guests the show will feature are yet to be announced, we hope they will feature a wide range of experts and leaders-- not only elected officials and well known names. Politics is central to D.C. but it is more than just impeachment news. There are countless nonprofits and advocacy organizations that work on non-mainstream issues in the political sphere. This show could be an opportunity to get your political issue on the map.
Updated News You Can Use...
Washington Post: As mentioned in the July edition of the Inner Circle Round Up, The Washington Post announced they planned to expand Spanish language content with an op-ed page and a podcast. Their podcast aired its first episode in early December. The podcast will be based out of three locations: D.C., Spain and Colombia. Coverage will focus on issues affecting Spanish speaking populations around the world, along with world news. Learn more about the new podcast, here.
Medium: In the February Round Up, we learned that Medium planned to launch four new publications that would comprise of “original features, columns, and essays by known and unknown writers and experts.” Since then, they lauched Elemental, a health and wellness publication, One Zero, a science and tech publication, Heated, a food magazine with Mark Bittman, and Gay Mag, created in partnership with author Roxanne Gay on cultural criticism. The magazines accept pitches and contributions.
The Recount: In the July edition, we wrote about the launch of The Recount, a video service that takes a different approach to presenting news. The goal behind The Recount was to fill a void in the current media landscape: concise news and analysis that you can watch on the go. They launched with their first product, The Daily Recount, and now have sections focusing on the 2020 election, the impeachment and more. Check it out here.