We’ve all heard The Buggles song, Video Killed the Radio Star, but in the world of PR: have radio and television killed the value of print media?  Do the benefits of voice and facial recognition across radio waves and TV tubes dilute the worth of name branding and article placement in newspapers and magazines?  The immediate answer can be summed up in a resounding, unequivocal ‘no way;’ and in the world of publicity, it’s actually quite the opposite.

Here at PR/PR, we field a great deal of calls relating to potential clients seeking publicity via television or radio exposure.  Whether it’s a career financial consultant looking to break into the realm of professional speaking or an author with a forthcoming book release, we receive queries about radio and television PR from professionals across a broad spectrum.  While there are certifiable and quantifiable merits to exposure through both of these mediums, the probability of sustained visibility is simply not as high as print. 

Radio and television may provide measurable spikes in phone calls and buzz surrounding your platform or topic, but they do not deliver the publicity plateau that published articles in newspapers and trade and business magazines will.  With print media, you are forever emblazoned within those pages, which reach the hands of industry leaders and event planners seeking keynote speakers for their annual meeting.  There will be no struggle to recall the name behind the refreshing ideas, as it is right in front of the reader, along with contact information and links to your information online. 

Music videos did not spell the end of the radio star, and television and radio have certainly not started the doomsday clock for print media. Remaining relevant in a world of fleeting attention spans is a challenging proposition, but having your articles in board rooms and in the hands of professional decision makers definitely makes the course less daunting.  Publicity is about constant, focused visibility; and the base of sustaining your brand and name starts on a newsstand or between the covers of a magazine.

-Carter Breazeale
PR/PR Public Relations