Major newspapers in Seattle and Denver recently closed after more than 100 years in business. The Christian Science Monitor is now strictly an online publication. Television stations are laying off news staff.

All across the country, shrinking newsrooms are impacting both the quality and quantity of news being delivered to the public. Time-pressed editors and reporters are being asked to do more with less, which makes it more difficult to capture their attention with a press release or story pitch.

Faced with this reality, savvy media relations teams are not throwing in the towel but strategically adjusting their efforts to get the word out about their clients. Here are just a few things S&A Cherokee is doing to adjust to shrinking newsrooms:

• Vigilantly monitoring media outlets to keep abreast of who is still there, who is not, who was reassigned, and how they are adjusting to changing news demands.
• Being more focused in how we pitch stories based on editors' and reporters' topics of interest. Not every journalist needs to see every press release generated.
• Researching nontraditional media like blogs, e-news sites, social media groups, Twitter, etc. For example, we recently secured coverage for Cary Magazine's Elegant Weddings Gala in two newspaper blogs that cover retail and fashion.
• Taking advantage of online resources where reporters seek sources for stories they're working on. In response to one such query, we recently set up an interview between the COO of ScrubCast and a writer for a national Web site.
• Helping clients boost the search engine optimization (SEO) of their Web sites, making it easier for reporters to find information about the company.

As long as numerous media outlets exist to facilitate individuals' news consumption preferences, S&A Cherokee will explore the best means, whether traditional or nontraditional, of promoting our clients' messages.

S&A Cherokee uses a wide variety of communications specialties to ensure our clients are fully prepared to meet the demands of an ever-changing marketplace. Communications needs differ from one organization to another. S&A Cherokee assists with taking control of the communications process and develops strategies that are uniquely customized for each client.

To discover how S&A Cherokee can help you with your media relations needs, contact us for a free consultation.