A few CG&A team members recently had the opportunity to go to a town hall meeting hosted by the Independent Film Channel (IFC) and listen to a panel of prominent journalists discuss why media matters. The town hall meeting is part of IFC's "Make Media Matter" series, which raises awareness about the vital role media plays in everyone's life.

Over the past couple of years, the way we absorb our news has drastically changed and continues to do so. Today, many people read their news online and newspapers are cutting staff and other media are beginning to consolidate their resources. When the panel was asked what they think of the changes, Carl Bernstein, known for breaking the Watergate story for The Washington Post, said (and other panelists agreed) that he is less concerned with the format and delivery of the news than with conserving the standards of American journalism.

Gerould Kern, editor of the Chicago Tribune, went on to say that "disruptive change sweeps across all human institutions at some point and we have to adapt." Panelists unanimously agreed that while more and more content is moving online, newspapers aren't going anywhere anytime soon and the most important thing is that the news gets delivered – regardless of the medium.

This is an important reminder for us to shift our perception of the "media." Media no longer consists only of television, radio and newspapers; it also includes blogs, social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook, podcasts and much more. Below are a few of our favorite online media outlets that provide great news and information. Next time you're thinking about a media relations campaign, be sure to take these outlets into account.

• Gapers Block: A Chicago-centric Web publication providing information on news and events around town.


• ChicagoNow: Owned by the Chicago Tribune, this blog is an aggregate of Chicago's best blogs and focus on anything from sustainability, comedy, sports and politics.


• The Dome: Serves as an aggregate of Illinois state government/political news, as well as providing some original reporting.


• Chi Town Daily News: With four reporters, four freelancers and 100 unpaid contributors, the Chitown Daily News is pioneering a new form of low-cost, street-level reporting.


• Windy Citizen: The Windy Citizen is the only Chicago news site built by its readers. Readers can rate, discuss, e-mail, and click on links, and the postings that get the most attention gain "clout" and rise up the front page, creating a constantly-changing list of the 10 stories deemed most interesting by Windy Citizen readers.

CG&A Project Director Terri Cornelius reflects on her past experience as a TV news producer and comments on the current changes in the media industry.

A lot has changed in the three years since I left broadcast news. Newsroom staffs have shrunk drastically, newscasts have been eliminated and many long time journalists have been displaced.  Today, Chicago TV stations are actually working together to cover the news, something that was unheard of just a few years ago. 

Stations used to have enough photographers to "spray" multiple events throughout the day. Crews were available for assignment editors who wanted to cover events "protectively," just in case something unexpected happened. Since stations are now pulling cameras and sharing coverage, one local television manager tells me they are now more discriminatory about assigning cameras due to fewer resources and new priorities. Stations are doing all they can to create a distinct identity so non-news events must fit into certain criteria associated with their branding.

Does the new spirit of sharing resources bode well for those trying to gain media coverage? The recently created television news camera pool in Chicago could free-up cameras at stations that are participating but some of those photographers are being reassigned to internal news gathering operations. Bottom line – unless your event is big or important enough to make it onto the AP daybook, don't plan on pitching to the pool in hopes of seeing it on every evening newscast. Pitches should still be sent to assignment and planning editors at each station.

Quality coverage in large Chicago media outlets is still important, but the smaller community papers and television stations can be an effective outlet for delivering your message. Now that news outlets are sharing more and more content with one another, a well placed story with the appropriate small or medium sized outlet can spread across a range of markets. A colleague of mine recently discovered this when 77 outlets picked up his placement in a medium-sized newspaper.

The leaner newsrooms of today certainly pose a challenge to all communication professionals. Despite smaller staffs, one thing hasn't changed: if you have a story pitch that is genuinely newsworthy then you have a decent chance of obtaining coverage. And that coverage may be broader than you anticipated thanks to online news outlets. There are smart decision makers at every station who have learned how to do more with less.

You may be wondering how you can best disseminate your message in light of all these changes in the media industry. Traditionally, a press release is used to get your message out by framing your organization's news in a way that journalists can easily digest and incorporate into a news story. Today, the release serves additional functions. With shrinking newsrooms and an increase in online news outlets, the modern press release highlights a perfect example of traditional public relations outreach converging with social media outreach. Your information now needs to be distributed through traditional channels as well as online and social media networks to reach your audience. But in order to do so, how can you update your press release for social media and online pickup?

Start a conversation
A trend in release distribution is the increased need for conversation with reporters. As newsrooms shrink, remaining reporters are tasked with a broader subject area to cover. This makes it even more difficult to have your organization's news stick out from others. Instead of focusing on the pitch to reporters, find a way to connect and start a conversation. This doesn't mean you have to pick up the phone and find something in common in with the reporter. Instead, Google their past stories and become familiar with what they typically cover. Also, you may find your targeted reporter on Facebook or follow their Tweets (Directory of journalists on Twitter). Don't think of social media networks as another way to e-mail the pitch, instead start a conversation. Comment on a recent posting or article the reporter wrote, offer additional information or a source and position yourself as a contact with valuable input. Aim for a relevant and helpful conversation with the reporter.

Make it searchable
Incorporating key search terms into your press release is a quick way to update the traditional method. Start by entering your content in Google's AdWords to discover popular search terms related to your message. Then, include these terms in the release's headline to gain a higher listing on search results. By tracking popular search terms, you can then create a running document of keywords that can be incorporated into company documents. Another way to increase search pickup is to add each release to your organization's online newsroom - a section of the Web site that organizes each release created by the organization and resulting news clips. This way, search results will link to the organization's Web site and increase your reach.

Check out these links for more information:

http://www.infocomgroup.net/falkow/

http://www.press-feed.com/howitworks/how-to-optimize-a-press-release.php#grid

http://www.infocomgroup.net/falkow/?p=555

http://www.press-feed.com/toolbar/