Axios reports that 1,972 newsroom jobs have been eliminated thus far in 2023, more than all of 2022.

This makes the PR person’s job especially difficult.

“There have been other signs of distress,” writes Sean O’Leary, a vice president at Susan Davis International. “I am seeing outlets giving reporters double beats. A local publication that I frequently work with lost two reporters and hired a single reporter to replace both. I cannot imagine the stress level associated with that.”

O’Leary offers these hints:

Make the reporter’s job easy

“This is not a new aspect of public relations. Our role has always been to help a reporter tell a story for our clients and provide them with the necessary information to do so. But that role is more important than ever because these reporters are stretched so thin.

“It means going beyond a simple media kit or basic background information. It’s about providing as much as you can to the reporter. Do you have pictures or videos ready for your story? Send it to the reporter in advance. Do you have more detailed explainers or articles that would help the reporter understand a subject? Share it with them beforehand.

Credit: Media Post