As a Communication major, Mass Communication has so far been my favorite class within the department. The hottest topics of discussion throughout the semester concerned the influx of social media and its impact on traditional media forms. The central debate: Has traditional media, involving newspaper/print, television, and radio, become a pointless and prehistoric approach to global communication? Constantly disputed, a unanimous response between my classmates was never reached. Therefore, I was excited to hear arguments from industry professionals concerning this topic in a recent webinar I subscribed to.

Sufficiently titled “Does Traditional Media Still Matter? Define the Role Traditional Media Plays in Your Communications Plan”, the PRSA online seminar features Dr. Donald K. Wright, Professor of Public Relations at Boston University, discussing the importance of traditional media in public relations plans. Initially outlining the weight of each individual form of traditional media, Wright stresses that they are just as essential as the newer forms of social media. He ultimately emphasizes a convergence of the two categories to create a harmonized atmosphere of both new and old approaches. Overall, the webinar made strong points that really got me thinking about the future of the media—change will definitely occur, but it won’t phase out the lasting forms of media with which our society is so comfortable.

The immediate recognition and credibility involved with traditional media, be it radio, television, or print, helps a message to “be everywhere, and reach millions” through a specified approach. Radio, for example, contacts a target audience efficiently through breakdowns in age, affluence, and geographic region. Through easy expansion of a given message, radio broadcasts easily showcase knowledge and create relationships with listeners. I for one think of the morning radio show hosts as friends— I listen to their life updates every day! Television, not unlike radio, also creates a bond with viewers. The audience chooses to let a message into their personal space: think about it—listeners can change the channel at anytime, but they allow you to enter their private realm. A television broadcast is a huge credibility builder—you are featured for a reason…your point of view is in demand! Again, I laugh along with Kelly Ripa like we are sharing personal jokes every morning, even though Live with Regis and Kelly broadcasts to millions all over the country. These traditional media forms can also lead to bigger opportunities. One may, for instance, become a regular expert on a show. Look at the classic example of Dr. Phil McGraw! He started as a visiting psychologist on The Oprah Winfrey Show in the late 1990s. After obtaining a regular spot on the daily broadcast, Dr. Phil proceeded to pilot his own mega-hit show. This example showcases another great aspect of the traditional TV platform: television can link a message to mega brands and celebrity hosts, creating instant notoriety.

Print media has the longest standing relationship with the market. Even so, there is doubt as to the rate of survival of print media in today’s technological society. The newspaper industry is experiencing a huge decrease in readership. But Dr. Wright makes the strong point: print media is evolving to stay current. For example, many newspapers now have online versions that are as widely read as the print versions themselves. This is a major benefit of this media form—double exposure is available through online reprints. Furthermore, look at new developments, like the onset of the Kindle! My sister and I purchased one for my mother, and it has no doubt become a regular addition to her purse. It was even ranked as the number one Christmas gift of 2009.

After his initial outline of the basics of traditional media, Dr. Wright enforces his main points of discussion for the webinar. His first and seemingly most important aspect of the lecture is that “research, measurement, and evaluation are essential components of public relations”. Communication plans are put together based on initial research findings, and PR campaigns are ultimately evaluated on the effectiveness of their conclusions.

Wright then stresses that the results of a PR campaign should focus on communication “outcomes” rather than “outputs”. Output, namely clip counting, webpage hits, or coverage received in the mass media, is simply one-way communication. Outcome communication is two-way, focusing on awareness and comprehension of the message, building a relationship with the audience and influencing change in attitudes and behaviors. Wright’s simple breakdown really helps to enforce his point—I completely agree that two-way communication is more beneficial in practically any situation. I think most would agree that they would rather be actively involved in communication than blindly lectured. The speaker uses this thought as a platform to his next point, designating that the ultimate goal of public relations is to influence behavior through new-found attitudes towards a particular subject.

Wright ultimately concludes that traditional media is just as influential today as it was in the past. He never belittles the emergence of social media and the immensity of the technological movement, but Wright stresses that new media forms should not eliminate measures of traditional media. The best PR plans are outcome focused, integrating both types. He ends on the point that has the most application for the future: do not ignore traditional media delivered in nontraditional ways. This, Wright believes, is the key to combating both new and old approaches to mass media simultaneously and efficiently. I definitely agree with this point of insight—there are examples of this union already! Those same radio hosts that I mentioned earlier also have Twitter accounts, where listeners can directly comment on the news and anecdotes broadcasted. In turn, the hosts can comment back, actually creating a relationship. This is a great example of “outcome” communication, which Wright emphasized. Before the new forms of social media were introduced, radio broadcasts were mainly “output”, but this concept has already changed.

In general, I think Wright’s webinar was highly informative. He provided listeners with strong insight and used applicable examples. My only criticism is that the lecture was slightly boring—with today’s technology that he so thoroughly critiques, Wright could have presented the info more entertainingly. But overall, I would give the presentation an A- and recommend checking it out for yourself!