The Multiple Meanings of ‘Media’

“The media”. It’s a simple term embedded with tessellations of meaning that become all the more elaborate when one expands the view to include different countries, yet around the world, those in the PR industry and their clients often refer to “the media” very generally, assuming that everyone’s on the same page.

Yet media operations in China and North America, for example, could not be more different, and while companies in both countries fundamentally realize this, there are still areas where assumptions are made about the function of media that impairs companies’ abilities to bring their newsworthy stories to journalists’ attention.

The US can be highlighted as a country in which “the media” triggers strong connotations, from the halcyon days of grizzled reporters barking into phones over the clack of typewriters, to its association as a benchmark of freedom of speech and a font of information that the people have the right to know.

China has no such legend built up around its media; while newspapers are still major players with massive distributions, their contents are not necessarily expected to be free of bias, and with the exception of a handful of trailblazing publications, most of what ends up on newsprint is dry Official-ese once it has been filtered for acceptability. As a result, newspapers and magazines are often not considered trusted sources of information.

Motivation makes the media

Journalists’ motivations are one reason among many for the different ways that companies feel they need to interact with media in each environment.

In the US, for example, many aspiring reporters attend journalism schools, where they are reminded constantly that their role is to serve the people as well as to get the story. “Comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable” is one of the first sentences young reporters are taught. But those who go on to pursue careers in journalism often do so only to find themselves in an industry fraught with closures, mass layoffs and depressing salaries. As a result, the people who stay in the industry tend to be passionate and driven in spite of the industry struggles.

The situation in China is quite different, although not because journalists make good money. Actually, they do not, and they operate in a far more dangerous environment to boot, with fewer of the protections journalists are assumed to have in the West. All this, on a salary that often is barely enough to scrape by.

Unsurprisingly, this environment is one that has allowed kickbacks to flourish. Companies in China have been known to offer reporters envelopes of cash for providing positive coverage of an event (or even just for showing up). It’s a firmly established practice, one that Chinese companies take as fact, but also one that can get Western companies in China in a lot of hot water with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act should they attempt to emulate it. Likewise, Chinese companies entering the Western market thinking that they can establish a paid relationship with journalists for coverage are in for a rude awakening.

Getting attention while staying out of trouble

Once operators in each country have this understanding of the ground rules and how to work within them, they have a much better chance of getting media attention more effectively (not to mention legally). Maintaining social media accounts on the platforms most often used in the target country is essential; a Chinese company hoping to enter US markets needs to start getting the attention of journalists and potential clients through Twitter, for example, rather than Weibo. For those with the resources to invest, it only takes one viral video to catch the attention of a whole new target audience, as athletic brand Li Ning did in 2010 when it went after more attention for its shoes in the US.

Once a journalist has heard of a company, he or she will be more receptive to a well-crafted press release. A journalist who has been approached by a company with offers of financial gain also will remember that company, but for all the wrong reasons, as will his editors and colleagues, all of whom will now be inclined to keep their distance. Even under the best of circumstances, newspapers and magazines still can be put in the position of having to defend themselves against accusations that their reporters took or gave bribes.

Chinese companies eager to make headway with journalists best remember that regardless of location, reporters are under pressure to get hits for their stories; a good story needs no bribe and offering one only undermines all those involved. Those who work closely with the Western media may think this is a point that doesn’t even need addressing, yet a surprising number of companies in China, when thinking of extending a media presence overseas, will ask about who they should be seeking out to pay. Rather than watching them get burned, PR companies out to see this as an excellent opportunity to guide Chinese companies as they take their first steps into Western markets, helping them gain the media familiarity they need while generating content that translates for the target audience.

Image by Flickr user Philippe Moreau Chevrolet