Working with content creators

WORKING with journalists and ‘content creators’ has become potentially far more difficult in much of the English-speaking world than it has been before.

With news organizations reducing their editorial staff, the work of producing text that is ready to go into papers or online without alterations falls on others.

Providing inappropriate material can make you and your organization look ridiculous.

Additionally, if your area of activity, interest or expertise is sensitive or complex, fewer journalists working across more platforms with less time and fewer resources means that the need keep reporters and editors ‘on side’ has become crucial.

By bringing together personal experience of working in such situations and under such constraints with an appreciation of the needs of the publicist or press officer, Modus Operandi can help produce ‘content’ that best meets the need of a news outlet without compromising the credibility of the coverage.

Bringing these skills and experience together can also enhance relationships between (independent) journalists and those working in corporate communications.

Those with the best intentions can, too often and too easily, alienate the journalists whose coverage they want and need, by adopting an inappropriate tone and failing to acknowledge how the world of news has changed. Modus Operandi’s approach sets out to stop this happening.

User-generated content (UGC) provides lots of opportunities - but they can very easily be wasted. We can also work with you to maximise the relevance of your material.

Case study

In 2015, Modus Operandi worked with the department of public health at Leeds City Council in the UK to produce Covering Suicide – Guidelines for those working in or with the news media.

These notes set out to reconcile the needs of journalists and ‘content creators’ working under huge pressure to publish as much material as possible as quickly as possible with having regard for the sensitivities needed in dealing with the bereaved.