As subscriptions to periodicals continue to decline, it seems some publications are looking for new ways to reach their key audiences. Just this month alone, two well-known magazines held high-profile events—The Atlantic hosted the daylong forum “Manufacturing’s Next Chapter” in Washington, D.C. and Parents Magazine featured Vice President Joe Biden in an online Town Hall Meeting to discuss gun safety. The Atlantic event was underwritten primarily by GE—prominently featured, of course. The latter could be considered a thinly veiled effort to push a 
political agenda.
I’m sure such events are a way for magazines to fill the financial gap left by the declining number of subscriptions, but it presents an interesting dilemma for PR pros.
Is this a “pay to play” case with the magazines or a legitimate way to promote a cause/share a message? And, will such media-hosted events carry the weight traditional news articles and press events once had or will the public view them as skewed and one-sided?
The line between the media and the public has been blurred as people and businesses become their own content creators while others purchase content (editorial) through periodicals and other outlets. It makes me wonder if this evolution of the “news” is ultimately making it more difficult to determine what is real or authentic. Perhaps more media outlets will be forced to look for sponsored content in order to stay afloat.
What does this mean for PR pros and businesses? I believe it’s a sign of things to come. We’ll probably see more media outlets hosting events paid for by sponsors and we have certainly seen politicians and action groups using social media to spread their messages rather than wait for reporters to write about them. The public will need to pay attention to the details—specifically, the origin of content. It will become increasingly difficult to find authentic, fair and balanced stories in the media as sponsored content takes over.
While we have more opportunities to create and share our own content, it may take longer and require more diligence and consistency to build trust. Transparency will be key, because if companies don’t share something, most likely someone else will and it may not be by a friend.
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Hollie Geitner is vice president, client services for WordWrite Communications. You can find her on Twitter @JustHollieG.
