Organisational Communication: Media Relations Report for ABC Company

This report examines the crucial role of media relations in organisational communication, focusing on its impact on business growth and reputation. It delves into traditional and online media strategies, including conducting research, responding to media inquiries, and building successful media relations programs. The report highlights the importance of prompt and clear communication, particularly in the digital age, and the need for businesses to respond to both positive and negative media coverage effectively. It also explores the development of online media strategies, including content quality, measurement, and evaluation. Furthermore, the report discusses socialising media relations strategies, including defining objectives, developing compelling messages, and building relationships with media contacts. Finally, it addresses the handling of negative news and the importance of damage control to maintain a positive brand image. This report provides valuable insights into how businesses can leverage media relations to achieve their communication goals and navigate the complexities of the modern media landscape.

Running head: ORGANISATIONAL COMMUNICATION
ORGANISATIONAL COMMUNICATION
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author Note:

1
ORGANISATIONAL COMMUNICATION
Table of Contents
Introduction:....................................................................................................................................2
3. Media relations............................................................................................................................2
3.1 The growth of business coverage in the media......................................................................3
3.1.1 Conducting research for targeting traditional media:.....................................................3
3.1.2 Responding to the media................................................................................................3
3.1.3 Building a successful media relations program..............................................................4
3.2 Online media introduction.....................................................................................................5
3.2.1 Developing an online media strategy........................................................................5
3.2.2 Socialising media relations strategy...............................................................................5
3.2.3 Successful handling of negative news:...........................................................................7
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................7
References:......................................................................................................................................8

2
ORGANISATIONAL COMMUNICATION
Introduction:
The aim of this report is to discuss the various aspects of organisational growth. Through
proper media relations, the companies can market their products in one hand and communicate
their message with the customers on the other. Media supports the successful introduction of
brand and can handle the marketing criteria of the company.
3. Media relations
The news media or the new industry are the firms of mass media that focus mainly on
delivering news or important information to the general people or target public. This news can be
print media like news magazines, newspapers, broadcasts news radio and television and recently
the internet where the news are spread through news blogs and online newspapers. Along with
time, the news media has evolved so also its focus to share the news. Some the news circulations
can be found in the Renaissance Europe (Rice and Somerville 2017). This news was mainly hand
written that contained the news about economic conditions, wars, social customs of the places
that were mainly circulated among the merchants. The first news was printed and published in
the late 1400s in the German pamphlets. These contained the most sensitive issues of that time.
Gradually the print media has been replaced by the broadcast and digital media (Theaker 2017).
Many of the current concerns about media can be trace in detailing the long-term changes which
began after the two world wars and accelerated in 1980s. At this point of time, the media
relations were brought by the large chains and conglomerates. Thus, the media concentration
became the progressively larger problems.

3
ORGANISATIONAL COMMUNICATION
3.1 The growth of business coverage in the media
3.1.1 Conducting research for targeting traditional media:
Towards the end of the world wars, the business of world has become more international
so that they can get the best of the globalisation process in this regard it can be stated that the
business entities started to depend upon the information of that markets before entering the
countries (Sherwood, Nicholson and Marjoribanks 2017). Therefore, the media news became the
only trusted medium upon which the business companies could depend completely. Thus, the use
of traditional media like printed newspapers mainly focusing upon the economy of the places or
the business preferences of the markets garb the attentions of the business entities (Bowen 2016).
In addition to this, the business companies started to utilise the traditional offline media to
understand the preferences of the customers of that market. Therefore, media can be used to
research the market in one hand and target the customers through various types of advertise. The
business companies have utilised the traditional media properly and maintained consistency and
contrast to strengthen the brand. Through traditional media, the companies have given their
brands a strong, clear and recognizable voice that help the companies to build long term loyalty
and relationships with the stakeholders. Traditional media has helped the business to introduce
the brands to a broad audience.
3.1.2 Responding to the media
In some cases, the businesses get negative promotions about the product or service. This
can affect the overall profit of the companies. As the media is the only medium to reach the
customers and initiating good relationships with the customers or other stakeholders. This is the
reason why the companies need to respond to the media properly. The response system of the
companies needs to be prompt and clear (Zerfass, Verčič and Wiesenberg 2016). In the era of

4
ORGANISATIONAL COMMUNICATION
internet where the customers are preferring to buy things from online stores and communicating
with the companies via internet, any positive or negative comments can fact the business of the
companies. Hence responding to the comments and mentions need to be cleared as early as
possible. Through proper response to the customers, the business can show interest on them
which gives opportunities to know more about the them (Neill and Lee 2016). Through press
release the companies can introduce their new products or services. Similarly, for any
unexpected turn of business, the news media is used for sharing information to the stakeholders.
This prompt and useful information system can help the companies to overcome customer or any
other stakeholder grievances more engagingly.
3.1.3 Building a successful media relations program
In order to gain the best out of the news media, it can be stated that the companies need to
develop a successful media relation program. This more engaging the relation with the media is,
the more benefits the companies get in the market. The methods of building a successful media
relations program include, identification of appropriate media contacts and tracking them, keep
on contacting them continuously, tailoring the materials for every circumstance and considering
the importance of releases on the online (Leinemann and Baikaltseva 2017.).
In order to reach the customers and respond them according to their demands, the
companies identify the appropriate media contacts which are credible and easily reach the target
audience. In that case a blogger in the internet site can be more applicable to those of the
journalists in the print media or televisions advertisements (Raupp 2017). The company needs to
get engaged with the customers and ask them to figure out the areas where the company can
bring changes. The business when aims to target the audience base and respond to the stories,
engage more with the media and strategize their media relations through effective promotion.

5
ORGANISATIONAL COMMUNICATION
There are various elements in this media relations strategies which include story telling process,
being resourceful, building relationships, being proactive so that the effect of advertisement as
well as promotions through media can be more efficient.
3.2 Online media introduction
3.2.1 Developing an online media strategy
The traditional media relations are somewhat different from the traditional ones as the
target markets are different and so also the nature of the projects and campaigns of the
companies. The customers in the websites continue searching for the resources as well as
solutions to their time the problems. In this aspect the brand in need to be present where the
consumer can easily find it. In order to develop online media strategy, the companies follow
some methods like providing quality content and measuring and evaluating of the progress (Hall
2017). different media outlets as well as marketing influencers will need information in any type
and shape. These can be video, audio, infographics, images and product samples. However, in all
of these matters, the main constant is the quality of content. The companies of can tailor their
content with perfect images, well designed artworks and quality videos, the companies get more
exposure in the media. Unlike any other public relations or marketing strategies, there are
various measuring and evaluating techniques including metrics such as the key message
penetration, negative or positive sentiments, number of views, number of shares.
3.2.2 Socialising media relations strategy
The business while aims to socialise their media relations follow more or less similar
strategies that they follow in the cases of the traditional media relations. The worlds of media are
different and their target customers are also different but the media relations strategies are same

6
ORGANISATIONAL COMMUNICATION
in both the cases. In this regard, the companies follow some effective yet old methods. These
include
 Defining objectives: the company first defines which it aims to achieve through the social
media relations activities (McDonald and Thompson 2016). Based on these they garner
support their causes, highlight important issues and change their behaviour to reach more
customer. These also include the method of creating anticipation, raising awareness of the
products, stimulating purchase activities and driving traffic to the websites.
 Developing message: the companies while aim to reach the targeted customers, develop
effective message to communicate through their media relations activities. These
messages are to be simple, compelling and impactful (Martino and Lovari 2016). The
companies therefore, refine as well as sharpen these messages avoiding reputation so that
they can be accepted y the audiences more effectively.
 Determination of the best media: before reaching for the publication houses, the
companies first determine the target audiences who will be watching their advertisements
or feel attracted to the products or services to use. After determining the objectives and
the messages, the companies try to identify the best publications, journalists and
influencers to help the companies (Pang et al., 2016).
 Building relationship: the business organizations which want to forward the relationship
with media, tend to understand the prospective contacts. Make the media understand the
area of operation, how they prefer content and what are the interesting factors so that the
journalists can help the companies to promote and discuss about their products or
services (Anthony 2018). The more the company is to the point, the media make them
more approachable, helpful and responsive.

7
ORGANISATIONAL COMMUNICATION
3.2.3 Successful handling of negative news:
In any way, every business gets stuck in the negative situations and every one of those try
to avoid such issues of bad press. That is can be as a result of the false stories or issues
regarding poor judgement of the authorities (Moon 2017). However, regardless to the
issues, they need to know the method of implementing the damage control due to the
negative news. For this reason, the companies decide on the best type of response and
face the media with honesty. They always try to create a positive message before the
audience so that the image cane be saved.
Conclusion
The company therefore needs to manage all these positive or negative aspects of the internal as
well as external situations so that the business runs smoothly and the common goals of the
organisations can be achieved properly. The positive media relations can either effectively
support the growth of the company if utilised properly or affect the reputation with negative
news.

8
ORGANISATIONAL COMMUNICATION
References:
Anthony, S., 2018. Public relations and the making of modern Britain: Stephen Tallents and the
birth of a progressive media profession. Oxford University Press.
Bowen, S.A., 2016. Clarifying ethics terms in public relations from A to V, authenticity to
virtue: BledCom special issue of PR review sleeping (with the) media: Media relations. Public
Relations Review, 42(4), pp.564-572.
Hall, T.A., 2017. Media Relations in a Changing Media Landscape: A Study of Interviews with
Public Relations Practitioners.
Leinemann, R. and Baikaltseva, E., 2017. Media relations measurement: determining the value
of PR to your company's success. Routledge.
Martino, V. and Lovari, A., 2016. When the past makes news: Cultivating media relations
through brand heritage. Public Relations Review, 42(4), pp.539-547.
McDonald, P. and Thompson, P., 2016. Social media (tion) and the reshaping of public/private
boundaries in employment relations. International Journal of Management Reviews, 18(1),
pp.69-84.
Moon, R., 2017. Getting into living rooms: NGO media relations work as strategic
practice. Journalism, p.1464884917691542.
Neill, M.S. and Lee, N., 2016. Roles in social media: How the practice of public relations is
evolving. Public Relations Journal, 10(2), pp.1-25.

9
ORGANISATIONAL COMMUNICATION
Pang, A., Yingzhi Tan, E., Song-Qi Lim, R., Yue-Ming Kwan, T. and Bhardwaj Lakhanpal, P.,
2016. Building effective relations with social media influencers in Singapore. Media Asia, 43(1),
pp.56-68.
Raupp, J., 2017. Public relations: Media effects. The International Encyclopedia of Media
Effects, pp.1-9.
Rice, C. and Somerville, I., 2017. Political Contest and Oppositional Voices in Postconflict
Democracy: The Impact of Institutional Design on Government–Media Relations. The
International Journal of Press/Politics, 22(1), pp.92-110.
Sherwood, M., Nicholson, M. and Marjoribanks, T., 2017. Access, agenda building and
information subsidies: Media relations in professional sport. International Review for the
Sociology of Sport, 52(8), pp.992-1007.
Theaker, A., 2017. What is public relations?. In The Public Relations Strategic Toolkit (pp. 17-
27). Routledge.
Zerfass, A., Verčič, D. and Wiesenberg, M., 2016. The dawn of a new golden age for media
relations?: How PR professionals interact with the mass media and use new collaboration
practices. Public relations review, 42(4), pp.499-508.