It’s predictable: Presidential election years are usually a challenging time for communicators who want to garner media coverage on behalf of an organization. Your stories may seem less relevant as journalists feel increased pressure to tie their stories to the election.
But 2024 election coverage hasn’t been the only obstacle for PR pros to navigate this year. Ever-evolving and disruptive AI technology, ongoing economic uncertainty, unprecedented natural disasters, and war have created a rapid-fire nonstop news cycle.
Sixty-five percent of healthcare journalists consider it important that their stories tie into global events like elections, war, national disasters, and the economy. (Healthcare Journalist & Communicator Survey, 2024).
This relentless news cycle isn’t going to slow down after the election
The 2024 Healthcare Journalist & Communicator Survey, conducted by my team at MediaSource, highlights a divide between what journalists want and what healthcare communicators are providing. You may predict that election-related topics are the key driver of this divide, but rising economic issues have created the most noticeable story topic gap between journalists and communicators. Fifty-two percent of journalists said the recession/economy is the most important political topic, while 31 percent of healthcare communicators said their organization plans to avoid discussing it.
Media relations takeaway: Communicators who can provide economy-related story topics and/or experts have a better chance of inserting their brand into the conversation during this busy news cycle.
The issues that journalists need to cover aren’t always the easiest for healthcare brands to talk about. Other highly requested topics from newsrooms this year include the cost of healthcare (67 percent), gun control and/or mass casualty incidents (51 percent) and reproductive health/abortion (49 percent). In contrast, healthcare communicators rank feel-good stories as their top priority to get into the news (73 percent). This divide in story priority continues to be a pain point for healthcare communicators. It’s important that we look within our organizations with renewed perspective to find ways to tell these stories.
Media Relations Must-Haves: How to Break Through a Rapid-Fire News Cycle
Align Your Story Topics: Offer stories that tie into current events with broad appeal. Watch for breaking news and tie your thought leaders to the news cycle. Be predictive about the news cycle and have your experts ready in advance of scheduled global events. When breaking news happens, pitch immediately to secure opportunities.
Rely on Research: 44 percent of journalists said that stories backed by research or data are the most important criteria when choosing to cover a story. Include timely, insightful sources for journalist reporting. Make it a priority to understand how including data or research will benefit your story and create a data plan from there.
Keep it Short: Journalists don’t have time to sift through excessive information. Write short pitches with clear subject lines and relevant details. Replace health industry buzzwords with language that a journalist could use in their own story.
Feature Real People: Find a real person and tell a compelling story through their eyes. The emergence of storytelling on social media, and more recently TikTok, has made the human element of a story increasingly important in garnering attention. More than one-third of journalists surveyed said that they have used TikTok to find news.
What we can take away from the 2024 Healthcare Journalist & Communicator Survey is that journalists are not working on the same forward-looking timelines as before. This chaotic news cycle is likely the new normal for both sides of the business. As we navigate these complexities, it’s crucial for public relations professionals to anticipate and strategically address hurdles. As we move into 2025, healthcare communicators who stay ahead of industry changes and journalist needs will come out on top.
If you’re interested in reading more findings from the survey, including social media use in the newsroom, the state of working in healthcare communications, AI in our industry and more, you can download the full report here: mediasourcetv.com/2024JournalistSurvey
