Do media professionals really have no place in the social and digital era?

Social Media vs Traditional Media.

The year is 2014; we have smartphones, laptops, tablets and coffee machines controlled by smartphones. News is easily available so we constantly informed and given the information we need to suit our lifestyles and personalities. We constantly connected even while we sleeping. Now the problem with all of this technological and digital innovation is that traditional methods of communication suffer, forcing media professional’s to rethink and restructure operation processes. According to strategist and communications consultant, Ulaysha Sukhu, professionals have coped with the ever-changing digital media platforms and even, newsroom cutbacks but for most there is a want to thrive on these changes.

News has always been free; newspapers were sold not for the news stories but rather for the features that journalists had written. Currently media houses are faced with the challenge of declining advertising and circulation that is rapidly declining. It would be foolish, to expect people to pay for a service, they have received for free for years.

Does the traditional journalist have a place in the social era? No, the traditional journalist does not have a place in a Social and digital world, but an innovative journalist does!

To be an innovative journalist, one would need to forget all that they know about traditional media platforms, expect for a few vital points. The first is that content is king; whether your publication is digital or print, an audience chose you for your content. Editorial integrity ensures quality assurance. Strategic advisor to the Daily Mail, Bill Raduchel says, that quality assurance is what will successfully move a print company into the digital age without too much disruption if it is done well.  The quality of the stories should not deteriorate; readers trust the brand to stay the same through this period of disruption. The second is a cliché but people still believe what they read! Digital and social platforms are too easily accessible; people look to print for credibility. According to Head of Operations at FT.com and Financial Times associate Editor, Lisa MacLeod, the Financial Times breaks major stories on print before digital because readers identify more with the story if put on paper before it is put on the web.  With that said, journalists have always played a vital role in society, journalists speak for those who cannot speak and importantly are watchdogs for the government and as well as create public opinion on many social matters.

Media houses in South Africa will survive the digital and social media disruption but no media house will function the same way it did 25 or even five years ago.

Oscar Pistoriuos: The Fall From Grace

Oscar Pistorius world famous paralympian made headlines last February for killing his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in his Pretoria home. The world icon and a hero for many across the globe could not have foreseen the irreparable damage that would soon follow after the world found out about the shooting.

Oscar Pistorious being arrested at his house on the day of murder.
 

Oscar was a favourable ambassador for almost any brand because he is kind, gives large sums of money to charity and most importantly he offered many disabled people hope and inspiration. He was the kind of brand ambassador that could do no wrong.


Oscars’ fans despite his criminal charges and damning evidence delivered by the state refuse to believe that he could have killed his girlfriend in cold blood.  Mayor Paolo Urbani of the North Italian town of Gemona del Friuli said: “Oscar was the perfect ambassador for our project, not only for the sport, but also because he is an inspiration for disabled people.”

An important question to ask, is whether it is possible for Oscar rebuild his reputation and maintain a social presence without further damaging his reputation?

According to media and marketing analyst Chris Moerdyk, there is no better way to promote a product than through a third party testimonial. Sadly third party testimonials come from people who could potentially destroy or harm a brand or company. “Take Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods and Oscar Pistorius, for instance they all endorsed global brands and all caused considerable embarrassment to those brands,” Moerdyk said.

Importantly, after an embarrassing or damning event occurs how you react to situations and engage with the public is vital. We all humans, people mess up, corporations mess up, but how one handles it speaks volumes about that person’s integrity. Social media and reputation management tools are vital to survive a public fall-from-grace, but they can only be used after one has gauged public opinion.



Oscar’s communications team took a lacklustre approach to containing the damage caused by the unfortunate death of his girlfriend. His reputation should have been the most important thing to consider and a clear and logical strategy.

To maintain and rebuild Oscar’s public profile, the PR team would need to define the problem. Secondly, after the problem has been identified, create a strategy to solve the problem. Thirdly, take action and communicate the messages that make your brand trustworthy again.

To conclude, reputation management should always be part of a bigger strategy that is put in place long before it is ever needed to tackle things like negative public opinion.