As one of the most contentious and theatrical presidential elections in U.S. history unfolds before our eyes, many citizens are thinking about what it truly means to be a democracy. Equitable, factual media is one of the most significant markers of a democratic society, and for those of us working in the industry, it may be a suitable time to reflect on our part in upholding this ideal.
PR people and journalists in particular have been pitted in a lasting rivalry that has inspired many media professionals to refer to public relations as “the dark side” (in varying degrees of seriousness). Some have even suggested that PR is killing journalism and that the rise of PR is a “threat to democracy” (in all seriousness).
For us to treat this complex debate with the thoughtfulness it deserves, we must first raise clarifications against some common misconceptions:
- The rise of PR has resulted in the decline of journalism
Indeed, the journalism sector has seen a decline in recent years, while the public relations sector has simultaneously grown. Last year, there were 4.8 PR people for every one reporter. However, the two trends are not causally related.
Unfortunately, job availability for reporters is shrinking for a number of reasons. One of the most profound is the decentralization of media. Before the internet era, news was only available through a few major sources, including TV and newspapers. Today, news and content are disseminated across an increasingly massive array of channels, which are all fighting for the attention of readers. People can now find desired information in smartphone apps or blogs, for example, which has subsequently decreased the demand for traditional newsroom journalists.
Additionally, this radical change in media structure has lowered newspaper valuations, forcing newsroom budgets to drop as much as 10 percent in recent years.
- Public relations is the source of media bias
Of course, it is the job of PR professionals to represent their clients in the most positive and diplomatic manner possible. However, the No. 1 source of bias in any story will always be human subjectivity. This can come from anybody – whether accidental or not, PR people and journalists alike are capable of letting their own perspectives and intentions show up in published media.
- Journalists and PR people work together begrudgingly
While the two positions are popularly characterized as a dysfunctional, sometimes adversarial relationship, the truth is that we need each other. Without reporters, PR pros would not be able to do their job of spreading awareness of their clients’ activities. Without PR pros, reporters would be less in tune with the internal news and buzz of the beat they cover. Rather than think of the two as “a broken marriage,” a better description would be that they are two sides of the same coin – roles that are distinct, but cannot exist without each other.
No matter what your stance is on this longstanding discourse, one thing is certain: The decline in journalism is a bad thing for society at large, including and especially PR professionals. The uneven reporter-to-PR ratio means that each individual reporter gets flooded with pitches, on top of their burden of having to produce content like a machine.
This is bad news for PR people because their pitches are significantly less likely to get interest, let alone coverage. There may be a lot of meaningful news that would be valuable to readers, but not enough reporters to cover it all.
Media consumers are negatively affected because what they see might not be an accurate depiction of the big picture. As long as there are significantly fewer journalists than PR people, citizens will only ever be able to see what manages to make it through the tumultuous media relations cycle. Given the mutually dependent relationship of PR and journalism, it’s vital that the two are equally powerful and populated so that they can keep each other accountable.
If we’re thinking about a more democratic media system that upholds truth and reflects reality in the fullest capacity, we need to invest more money and resources in honest journalism.