Campaigns Need to Accept That Print is Dead

[Commentary] Despite the death of print, most campaigns from Senate through state House still spend a disproportionate amount of time strategizing about how to deal with newspaper editors and reporters. We would argue that “earned media” campaign strategy focusing on all media outlets is about to be dead, too. Campaigns and candidates have to reassess how much time they put into earned media strategy, versus social media strategy, versus fundraising versus direct-voter contact.

We would argue in most races that aren't for President, almost none of the candidate’s time should be spent dealing with the media. This is bad news and we don’t like it. Between us we’ve worked for print, radio, and TV news outlets. Our company was built on our media relations and crisis management skills, as much as our advertising expertise. Today, there just isn’t a demand from media outlets for local political stories. Why, then, should campaigns burn the midnight oil to supply them with content if it’s akin to pushing a rope? In campaigns, we’ve arrived essentially at campaigns without newspapers playing a meaningful role. Many great Americans are surely turning in their graves.

[Bill Fletcher and John Rowley are partners in the Democratic media firm of Fletcher Rowley]