The Election Revealed a New Landscape

Our job as communications professionals is not merely to follow the news cycle, but to shape it. That requires a thorough understanding of today’s rapidly changing media dynamics. Unlike the era of #Resistance, the current zombiefied resurgence of Trumpism has sparked burnout. Disengagement from political news among Democrats and editorial appeasement at major outlets mean there is less demand for stories about people making positive political and social change. But it’s not just the Trump deluge shaping our current news landscape.

 

Despite the efforts of the “what went wrong” commentary machine, no unifying narrative of the election exists. Each American has a hyperindividualized media ecosystem, so stubborn misperceptions aren’t always corrected by explainer articles, messaging efforts or pronouncements from experts. 

 

In 2024, friends and family surpassed TV news as the top source for local news. The decline of local journalism has paralleled the rise of podcasts and news influencers. News is now a stream of conversation. Instead of following one news story, we pick up on general notions from disparate sources. The result is ambient information — a haze of ideas, resistant to facts. 

 

A reckoning with news fragmentation and ambient information will shape how journalists proceed. Legacy news outlets have adopted vertical video explainers and bulleted summaries as the medium of the internet. Backlash to the progress of the last 15 years means there has been a shift away from progressive frames in mainstream media and politics. Nonetheless, traditional news still has power. News influencers source stories from traditional journalism. Reporters continue to play a critical role in the fact-finding and accountability necessary to maintain a functional democracy.

 

Our job is always, and during the Trump administration in particular, to help our clients navigate the current media landscape and contribute positive stories. It serves the dual purpose of helping journalists source stories about changemakers and rallying those who care about social good. Here are some strategies that try to balance our interest in serving clients with bolstering the journalists and publications that make our jobs possible:

 

Pitch Slice-of-Life Stories

In film, there are high-concept movies and slice-of-life movies. A high-concept movie centers grand ideas through expansive storytelling while a slice-of-life movie expresses how ordinary, everyday moments are meaningful. Over the last several years, big movements to achieve structural change were the go-to method to resist Trump. Like a high-concept movie, stories about movements highlighted our ideals and power to make great change. Right now, those big ideas are less empowering than concrete methods to do good and make tangible improvements to peoples’ lives. We need to look for opportunities to approach stories with a slice-of-life lens:

 

  • What makes our clients’ work meaningful on a day-to-day basis? 
  • Who relies on these organizations and what does that help look like? 
  • How do we empower readers to know that there are people making a difference and that they can be part of it? 

 

Personalize traditional media

A lot of LinkedIn warriors would have every communications professional give up on journalism and pivot to pay-to-play, podcasts and posts. That’s silly. But we also can’t ignore that people receive information differently today. 

 

While the news cycle is short, online content has a long life. A well-reported article can be repurposed for social media long after publication or used to pitch new coverage. Diversifying social media promotion of media placements, like creating direct-to-camera videos summarizing key points of op-eds, can further build the spokesperson’s profile. 

 

We can also help reputable journalists break into new formats. Pitch relevant desksides to a recently-launched newsletter at a legacy outlet or a staff reporter who makes breaking news Reels. Strengthening independent journalism in emerging formats helps counter the rise of pay-to-play practices disguised as news.

 

Look beyond the usual suspects 

The most prestigious outlet does not necessarily have the most influence, especially today. Keeping purpose, audience and capacity in mind, new outlets might match client goals more than legacy ones. Especially as newsrooms are facing unprecedented staff reductions, talented, experienced journalists are not limited to household name outlets.

 

The phenomenon of ambient information means that ideas get lodged in peoples’ minds without citation. In this context, a self-published op-ed may have comparable impact to a newspaper placement. Building the profile of both the organization and individual spokespeople through blogs and social media can multiply the impact of self-published and earned thought leadership.

 

There have been disheartening changes to the way the general public engages with news. Instead of lamenting what we’ve lost, however, we can embrace the experimentation and creativity required to bolster journalism and uplift our clients’ efforts to make the world a better place.