In case you missed it, this year’s CPRS Toronto Chapter Annual General Meeting took place at the end of September at the National Club in Toronto. The purpose of the AGM is to bring current and new members together to reflect on the past year’s activities, successes and workshop opportunities to better the chapter. There were over 80 participants, including many new faces from local PR schools who came out to learn more about CPRS Toronto.
Traditionally, the AGM is focused on the formalities of the organization’s charter. This year, in addition to the formalities of the president’s address, treasurer’s report, committee reports and other announcements regarding by-laws, the audience was treated to a panel discussion hosted by Cision Canada. Cision Canada is a long-time sponsor of CPRS Toronto, and supporter of PR professionals day-to-day via media monitoring and wire services.
Breaking Down the State of the Media
Cision’s panel focused on their 10th annual State of the Media Report, which surveyed 1,999 journalists from all over the world. The report painted a clear picture that the past 12 months have been challenging for the media.
Jeff Vanderby, Senior Manager, Product Marketing (Global Markets), Cision, moderated the discussion with two knowledgeable and distinguished panelists:
Joe Chidley – Editor, Content Works and Columnist at the Financial Post
Julia McEwen -Editor, Producer, Stylist
The level of distrust in the media has lessened. Will trust in the media continue to grow?
(Joe): Trust in the media is like a wave, it comes and goes. Social media tends to give people what they want to read and what they agree with, this raises a certain level of distrust.
Journalists see the ability to bypass traditional media through influencers and particularly through social media as a huge threat. Sponsored content has become more sophisticated and transparent since it comes from publishers. Rules have been laid out across the industry to distinguish commercial content from editorials. Sponsored content is generally clear, prominent and visible. It is required in magazines because the ad dollars are spent on social media to promote posts and influencer campaigns. Initially, a lot of sponsored content was being received from marketing departments but this is changing. We’re seeing more and more content coming from public relations practitioners.
What is the role of data and how do journalists and editors choose which stories to cover?
(Joe): Data assists in providing journalists and editors information on how the content they publish has performed which in turn, helps them curate and share information that is more popular with their viewers.
How can public relations be a lifeline for journalists?
(Julia): Relationships and relevance are key. Maintenance of relationships and effective communication contribute to the growth of both industries. It’s important that new public relations professionals try to build these relationships with journalists by seeking all relevant information at once other than going back and forth.
CPRS Toronto plans to keep hosting networking opportunities and professional development events in 2019-2020, providing members facetime with their peers and leading professionals in the public relations industry.
Written by: Sakina Adnan, Volunteer, CPRS Toronto