The Inner Circle Round Up: Media News You Can Use January 2021
The Inner Circle Round Up: Media News You Can Use December 2020
This year has been all about learning how to adapt. As communications professionals, we’ve had to deal with one of the most challenging news cycles ever in terms of securing media coverage… In a twist on our #RoundUp series, the Scott Circle Communication team shares some of their favorite new (or new to them) outlets that are now in their regular rotation.
The Inner Circle Round Up: Media News You Can Use November 2020
Well, the election may be (mostly) over, but it still seems like politics is dominating the news cycle. At least when it comes to traditional mainstream media, but that’s why it’s so important to expand not only the types of outlets that you read/watch/listen to, but also the journalists you are trying to establish relationships with.
The Inner Circle Round Up: Media News You Can Use October 2020
No, we’re not living in some horror film. It’s still spooky season, and coronavirus and the election are still THE topics dominating the news cycle for yet another month. With election day just around the corner, it’s hard to imagine that there’s ever going to be another topic of conversation. But there are!
The Inner Circle Round Up: Media News You Can Use September 2020
Goodbye, summer and hello fall! We continue to deal with a constant breaking news cycle, and despite some media shutdowns, we continue to find more and more outlets - and more opportunities for communicators to stay informed (and if they’re lucky maybe even secure a media placement or two for their clients).
This September, another heavy-hitter joins the podcast game, a celebrity joins daytime television, a digital platform continues their rapid expansion, and a media outlet attempts to report on the news without any bias. Have you come across any interesting new outlets? We’d love to hear all about them on Twitter at @ScottCircle!
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You and Me Both: HRC Joins the Podcast Game
We’re now just weeks out from the election, and there’s no one better from whom to get insight on the process than someone went through it herself. Hillary Clinton is throwing her hat into the podcast ring with a 24 episode series that will cover everything from politics to friendship. Per HRC, “I’m excited to bring these eye-opening, powerful, sometimes hilarious conversations to the forefront and open up new avenues of discussion with some of the people I find most fascinating.”
The Inner Circle Take: It looks like Clinton has lined up a diverse roster of guests ranging from feminist icon Gloria Steinmen to the Fab Five’s Tan France. Don’t expect to be pitching the show your guest ideas any time soon, but definitely pay attention to the conversations that are taking place to see if there’s an issue that may be relevant to the things you’re working on. We know HRC knows how to make news, and her social media game has been especially strong lately.
NowThis Earth: Covering the Changing Planet
Last month, we mentioned NowThis Kids, and the platform is at it again, continuing its expansion with yet another new channel. NowThis Earth is “dedicated to daily news coverage of climate, sustainability, biodiversity, species extinction and environmental justice. Content will be distributed across their vertical platforms including YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.
The Inner Circle Take: The climate crisis is one of the most important issues of our time. If you have clients working on environmental or sustainability issues, consider approaching the channel with some visually engaging content. There’s an opportunity to reach a huge audience here, as NowThis has reported that “audiences are five times more likely to engage with sustainability coverage than any other topic.”
A New Role For Drew: Talk Show Host
Drew Barrymore has recently debuted a new talk show on CBS, appropriately named “The Drew Barrymore Show.” It bills itself as “optimism TV, bringing information, inspiration and entertainment to the daytime audience.” The show will feature celebrity interviews, lifestyle segments and more.
The Inner Circle Take: The talk show will cover all the hot celebrity topics, but may have some opportunities for your clients. Barrymore frequently highlights products and items she uses in “Drew’s Picks,” features a Cookbook Club, and even has opportunities to feature everyday heroes (for example, with their Good Dad Program).
NewsNation: Opinion-Free News?
Can opinion-free news truly exist? WGN America believes it can, and has launched NewsNation, “a nightly three-hour national prime time newscast that promises a neutral, opinion-free presentation of the day’s events.” The show has dedicated producers, media consultants, and academics who will evaluate each story and the language used for any bias.
The Inner Circle Take: If you turn on the television, it’s clear we are living in polarizing times. But there’s also a reason why certain cable news networks get such high ratings: most people want to hear opinions that align with their own views. As professional communicators, it’s important to see things from various perspectives and consume different channels of information. An opinion-free media outlet may be something great to add to your rotation. Time will tell if there’s appetite for such programming from the general public!
The Inner Circle Round Up: Media News You Can Use May 2020
Welcome to the May Edition of the Inner Circle Round Up. Since the pandemic began, we’ve noticed a decline in new media opportunities. This comes as no surprise as new outlets continue to face layoffs and changes. We’re still here to provide you news you can use in your day-to-day PR activities, so this month, we’re sharing some resources for PR pros during coronavirus and a few media opportunities to look forward to.
Follow us on Twitter and share any opportunities you came across this month at @ScottCircle.
PR Resources You Can Use
How to correctly reference all the new pandemic lingo from AP Stylebook
Best practices for pitching media during the COVID-19 crisis from Cision’s 2020 State of the Media Report
How Companies Are Engaging Employees During COVID-19 from Institute for PR
How to communicate during unprecedented times from Cision
Who’s covering coronavirus from Agility PR Solutions
How to keep your culture thriving and your team morale up with CircleUp (SCC Plug!)
New Media Opportunities
The New York Times: Tech podcast to launch this Fall
New York Times is launching a new tech podcast hosted by “Recode Decode’s” Kara Swisher.
Known as “Silicon Valley’s most feared journalist,” she will bring her sharp interview skills and continue to hold major figures accountable. According to NYT, she will interview a wider range of individuals from political leaders to pioneers in science and culture.
The Inner Circle Take: We’re looking forward to more illuminating interviews with an expanded roster of interviewees from Kara Swisher. While many of the guests seem to be high profile, if the news cycle works in your favor, maybe your organization’s leader could speak to a timely issue on the new podcast.
McClatchy: New Text to Audio feature
McClatchy is now offering a text to audio feature, following the trend of increased digital audio consumption. Its 30 news outlets now instantly offer audio versions of stories through AI and machine learning. According to MediaPost, in a soft launch with two news outlets, user engagement spiked.
The Inner Circle Take: Is audio everything? Many news outlets are expanding their audio initiatives, opening up their stories to a whole new audience and keeping their current audience more engaged. For PR pros, audio means more people listening to their cause, their leader or new data.
TIME: Newsletter Interview Series
TIME has rolled out a new newsletter series, The Leadership Brief, which will focus on business and technology. The weekly newsletter will feature leaders from Peleton, Accenture, Microsoft and more. Noting unprecedented times, TIME deputy editor Eben Shapiro said “many businesses are filling a leadership void vacated by the government. That is a really important change we believe we need to cover and explain to our audience.”
The Inner Circle Take: Has your organization stepped up to meet the new needs created by the pandemic? Is your leader taking an innovative approach to leadership during this unprecedented time? Maybe TIME’s new newsletter will be an opportunity for you.
The Inner Circle Round Up: Media News You Can Use April 2020
Welcome to the April Inner Circle Round Up. For most, working from home and the constant feeling of uncertainty is the new normal. We’ll continue to be your resource for new media opportunities you can use, along with providing other helpful and uplifting resources. This month, we’ve been finding new podcasts, shows, and sites launching in response to the current pandemic situation.
Follow us on Twitter and share any opportunities you came across this month at @ScottCircle.
NBC: ‘Nightly News Kids' Edition' Launches
NBC has launched a new news program targeting kids aged 6-16, hosted by Nightly News’ Lester Holt. The new program will live on Youtube and air at least twice a week as a part of Holt’s regular segment. Stemming from the current pandemic, the show aims to provide answers and empower young people. The show features NBC news correspondents and other experts and focuses on issues relevant to kids.
The Inner Circle Take: “Nightly News Kids’ Edition” could provide a great opportunity for organizations trying to reach younger audiences. If your organization works on issues involving kids and would like to better engage youth, this new show is one to monitor.
Reader’s Digest: Vertical on Health and Wellness
“The Healthy”, Reader’s Digest’s first digital vertical, has debuted. The new site intends to be a center for health solutions and provide reliable, expert sourced information. According to Theresa Tamkins, editorial director of The Healthy, “Given the urgency of the current COVID-19 outbreak, trusted and authoritative health coverage is more important than ever before.” Topics range from mental health, nutrition, chronic conditions, in depth COVID-19 explainers, vaccines and more.
The Inner Circle Take: If you work in the health space, “The Healthy” could be a new outlet to add to your media list, especially as the site is a trusted, medically reviewed source for health related material.
In partnership with iHeartMedia, Buzzfeed has launched a new podcast, “News O’ Clock.” The show will cover news and pop culture and aims to be a “one-stop shop” for listeners. The 20-minute daily show will cover top headlines like the 2020 elections and the coronavirus pandemic, along with pop culture and entertainment. The show is hosted by Buzzfeed’s Hayes Brown and Casey Rackham.
The Inner Circle Take: Given the wide range of topics covered, the podcast offers a variety of opportunities. It mainly features Buzzfeed editorial staff, so if you want to get on the podcast’s radar for an issue you are working on, reaching out to a journalist in tandem with show producers could be a good start.
And lastly, although there have been a lot of media outlets having to downsize or shut down during this time, there is a bit of silver lining. Good news is in demand and both traditional and non-traditional outlets are meeting the challenge. We’ve compiled a list of outlets sharing positive stories to help keep you smiling:
