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Media relationship management��Strategies for building and maintaining strong connections�

Mariam Hassanien and Mohamed Moussa

RNE Communication, FAO

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Objective of the session:

RNE Communications Meeting and Retreat

Impactful Media Management

Knowledge

Trends

Takeaways

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Media relationship management – key pillars

RNE Communications Retreat and Workshop

Impactful Media Management

Proactive	Prompt Response	Mutual Benefit	Compelling Content	Trust	Consistency

Regularly approaching the media to work on stories for FAO whether an interview, field trip, Op-ed placement, event coverage, press release distribution, etc.…	Responding promptly to requests for information or interviews	Focus on mutual benefit and providing value for their stories. In return increased coverage and awareness on our work its impact	Share facts, figure, interesting quotes from the beneficiaries. Tailored content to their audience	Establish open and honest communication with journalists. Provide accurate information.	Consistency is key for success. Develop a yearly engagement plan and revisit every quarter.

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Media relationship plan – tactics

RNE Communications Retreat and Workshop

Impactful Media Management

Identify target media outlets and Journalists

Set goals and objectives

Craft key messages

Prepare media kit

Be ready for the way forward

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Trends in the region

RNE Communications Meeting and Retreat

Impactful Media Management

A study done by Strategy&, part of the PwC and Google News Initiative in 2022.

Countries of the study were Egypt, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.

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MENA news consumers’ preferences

RNE Communications Meeting and Retreat

Impactful Media Management

Consumer preferences shifting to short format, video, and social The preferred news channels, formats, and categories, as well as the behaviors and satisfaction levels of news consumers in the MENA region, have undergone significant changes because of digitization. Digital news has replaced print across the region. In our survey of 4,500 consumers in the region’s three key markets, 68 percent of the respondents stated that social media was their primary source for news. Over 90 percent of them identified mobile as their top device for accessing news. In terms of news formats, 66 percent of respondents named mobile video as their favorite. Short-form articles were also popular, enjoyed by 58 percent of respondents (see Exhibit 2, page 4). In terms of consumer satisfaction, 62 percent of respondents indicated they were “very” or “somewhat” satisfied with the range of opinions represented in the news they received. However, they do not trust the news they consume. Only 12 percent of the respondents indicated that they “rarely” or “never” felt the need to verify news.

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MENA region newspaper and magazine revenues (US$ billions, 2018–2027)

RNE Communications Meeting and Retreat

Impactful Media Management

ews organizations have outmoded business models, which prevent monetization and lead to limited growth prospects. They also have shortfalls of digital capabilities and there are limited partnerships with global tech companies of the kind that could maximize value-add. Traditional news business models are limiting growth prospects The shifts in news consumption have created a major financial challenge for traditional news organizations. Other than traditional television, newspaper and magazine publishing is the sole segment of the global entertainment and media industry that is forecast to suffer a decline in revenue between 2022 and 2027. During those five years, global newspaper and magazine revenues are forecast to drop by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.0 percent. The outlook for the news industry in the MENA region is lagging behind the global average, with a forecast revenue decline of 4 percent CAGR (see Exhibit 3).

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Region’s trends takeaways

RNE Communications Meeting and Retreat

Impactful Media Management

Digitization is fueling growth for news organizations in the MENA region, presenting both opportunities and challenges.

News consumption and demand are on the rise.

The growth is fueled by widespread mobile connectivity, high internet penetration, and social media usage in the MENA region.

Young consumers are leading digital lifestyles.

Consumers have shifted to social media as their primary news source

News organizations need to transform their business models and methods of delivering content.

Video and mobile are now the top format and device choices.

Consumers are generally satisfied with news quality but have low levels of trust.

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Way Forward for media relations

RNE Communications Meeting and Retreat

Impactful Media Management

Media Relations

Media Pitches

Media Training

Op-Ed writing and article distribution

Awards Development

Content Marketing

Press Release Distribution

Media Engagement in Events

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Thank you�