The Inner Circle Round Up: Media News You Can Use - June '18
As a PR professional, we try to keep track of the media industry for new ideas and opportunities where we might be able to pitch our clients. Often we are inundated with breaking news and headlines, and sometimes it is difficult to figure out what can actually be useful in our everyday work.
Scott Circle Communications is here to help. Every few weeks, our team at The Inner Circle will compile a ROUND up (circle pun intended) of media updates and new opportunities. We hope this will be a helpful resource, curated by PR pros for PR pros.
What’s New (and New-ish)
Glamour Magazine: A New Direction
Glamour intends to move in a new editorial direction, expanding coverage to focus on serious topics important to women. Editor-in-chief, Samantha Barry wants Glamour to “own” the conversations impacting women today, including #MeToo and the pay gap, with stronger points of view and more original reporting and exclusive angles.
The Inner Circle’s Take: This is exciting news not only for the magazine, but for the PR professionals who want to pitch them! Glamour’s new editorial direction could provide new opportunities for mission driven organizations to share their important work and build recognition for worthwhile causes.
Since beloved blog DCist shut down in 2017, there has been a void in local news. Luckily, Washington public radio station WAMU acquired the site in February and has announced that editor-in-chief Rachel Sadon and associate editor Rachel Kurzius are returning to their previous roles. Former staff writer Christina Sturdivant will also regularly contribute to DCist.
The Inner Circle’s Take: If you’re looking to promote local events and causes, this is exciting news! Local journalism is a valuable asset for PR pros, especially if you work with local brands or non-profits. Not all news is national news, but local outlets, like DCist provide an outlet for news that matters to the community. Help support their re-launch here.
Bloomberg expands TicToc to podcasts, newsletters
Bloomberg's new live Twitter network TicToc is expanding its brand into more direct-to-consumer offerings, like podcasts (audio rundown from TicToc's hourly news updates, updated twice a day), audio digests (5-6-minute audio and or video rundown from TicToc's hourly news updates) and a newsletter.
The Inner Circle’s Take: Being aware of the direct-to-consumer offerings can help you tailor your pitches to specific news mediums. If your story could translate well to video or a podcast, incorporate that into your pitch.
Vox Media/International Rescue Committee New Podcast: Displaced
A new podcast, Displaced examines the impact of humanitarian crises on people’s lives and livelihoods, and the means by which we can act to provide meaningful aid. Every Tuesday, hosts Ravi Gurumurthy and Grant Gordon focus on innovative solutions for refugees fleeing crisis and conflict, and talk to the women and men behind those ideas to understand their impact. Displaced is produced by the International Rescue Committee in partnership with the Vox Media Podcast Network. The show’s senior producer is Golda Arthur.
The Inner Circle’s Take: Organizations and leaders working to help the refugee crisis may want to check out this podcast as a potential opportunity to share stories of their important work.
ABC News: New Daily ‘Start Here’ Podcast
ABC News recently debuted “Start Here,” a twenty-minute session hosted by Brad Mielke that taps ABC News personnel and offers insight on events shaping the world. New episodes will post each weekday at 6 a.m. eastern. Each episode features four to six stories with an emphasis on taking listeners right to the scene of compelling moments using natural sound and on-location reporting.
The Inner Circle’s Take: Another daily news podcast means another opportunity for PR. While the podcast content pulls directly from ABC News’ coverage, if you are pitching a compelling story, it wouldn’t hurt to mention it may be a great fit for their daily podcast. Plus, you’ll demonstrate your understanding of the outlet, which is much appreciated by producers.
New to Us (and Maybe to You, Too)
The Outline is a growing digital media startup, that recently completed its second round of funding. It focuses on three topics: power (who has it, who wants it, and what do they do when they get it?), culture (the way we live and communicate), and the future (where we’re going next). Their aim is to cover underreported stories, focusing on quality not quantity. Their coverage seems to range from pop culture to tech and politics.
The Inner Circle’s Take: Not every story will make traditional national news, so it is always helpful to be aware of outlets like The Outline that take an unconventional approach to important issues of the day.
Truthout is a nonprofit, progressive news organization in the United States that operates a web site and distributes a daily newsletter and publishes original political news articles, opinion pieces, video reports, artwork and reprint.
The Inner Circle’s Take: If you work with progressive organizations that have an important, yet (not mainstream) views on current events, Truthout could be a potential target for your pitches and opinion submissions.