Strategies for Public Interest Media Confronting the Covid-19 Pandemic: Building Business around Content

"Public interest media across the Global South have demonstrated discipline, innovation, resilience and courage as they responded to the crisis [of COVID-19]. While these qualities are essential for survival, they are most effective when coupled with practical business and operational strategies, particularly those that have been tried and tested by other public interest media in similar environments."

The scale of the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated infodemic have made it clear that the media's need for financial resilience is greater than ever, with the viability of even the best-positioned public interest media under great strain. In response, this analysis piece , which is a learning output from Protecting Independent Media for Effective Development (PRIMED), offers a set of practical recommendations that draw on the experiences of media in countries where PRIMED consortium partners work. Compiled by Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF) and BBC Media Action, the recommendations spell out practical steps that public interest media have found helpful as they navigate the continuing crisis management phase of the pandemic and begin to prepare themselves for the new reality that will follow.

To illustrate the scope of the challenges, the paper cites studies by organisations such as the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University, and MDIF - with a survey by the latter indicating that 87% of respondents said COVID-19 has had a negative impact on their business. "On the positive side, many media have seen a surge in audiences during the first and successive waves [of the pandemic]. The thirst for and importance of quality news has enabled many public interest media to connect with more people and magnify their mission to provide reliable information. However, in many cases the bumps in consumption have proven to be temporary as news fatigue set in. The rise and fall of audiences has made it even more important for media to retain as many of the new readers, listeners and viewers as possible, and to develop strategies for effective audience and advertiser relationships and, potentially, revenues."

Every media organisation and media market is different, so any response will need to be contextual. However, the recommendations offered may be relevant to various media leaders and senior editors as they consider their organisations' financial and editorial responses to the pandemic. They include:

• Cut costs; hoard cash - example: Focus on the core of your business that you want to protect at all costs and allocate resources accordingly. Identify the talent you can't do without and make sure you don't lose them.
• Keep searching for revenue - example: Consider a new pricing strategy that includes services like webinars and specialised newsletters; it can help attract new clients and position your organisation as a full-service, solutions-oriented partner.
• Report in the public interest - examples:
  • Be prepared: Build and keep building contacts with emergency responders, health organisations, and experts. Discuss what the public needs beyond breaking news.
  • Do your research: Learn about your audience's situation, concerns, needs, beliefs, and trusted information sources. And learn about the health issues, consulting with experts to ensure accurate and informed reporting.
  • Think of the bigger picture: Who is particularly vulnerable because of the pandemic and response, and whose vulnerabilities might be exacerbated? Who might be forgotten in the response, and how can we help meet everyone's communication needs?
  • Coordinate: Work with health responders to provide timely, clear, and consistent information.
  • Help your audience stay healthy: Provide accurate information about what is happening, how and when to access help, how to prevent the spread of infectious disease, and what to do if they or family members have symptoms.
  • Feature trusted voices, and counter mis- and dis-information: Considering that people only act on information and guidance if they trust it, ask: Who will your audience trust? And are they reliable sources of information?
  • Ask the right people the right questions: Select people with the right knowledge, credibility, and ability to express themselves on the subject. They might not always be experts.
  • Motivate your audiences to cope: Provide content that is understanding, empathetic, interesting, and engaging. Showcase positive stories of coping and recovery, and share experiences and learning from others affected. And think creatively: short public-service announcements, longer documentary-style segments, dramas, personal stories, and even catchy songs can reach people with life-saving information.
  • Interact with your audience, and create safe opportunities for audiences to have their questions answered by trusted experts: Don't forget about the voices of the most vulnerable people, who might be harder to reach.
  • Do no harm: Consider how your reporting might be interpreted and whether it might be feeding stigma or discrimination - for instance, by appearing to link a particular group with the spread of a health problem. And be empathetic and sensitive.
  • Do not try to compete with the speed of the infodemic: The overwhelming amount of information - both accurate and false - has created communication fatigue and sometimes caused harm.
  • Above all, communicate well: To ensure content is as accessible and helpful as possible, it needs to be clear and accurate, realistic, engaging, and solution-oriented.
• Use your content to drive your business - example: Look again at content and how the newsroom works: Is it time to close products / sections / services that don't serve your audience? What adds to your value proposition? Are you prioritising features that really add value for your audience? Experiment, innovate and test, but decide on your own company's terms; don't do something just because a competitor is doing it or because it impresses other journalists.
• Remember that your team is not immune - example: Be transparent with staff, clients and audiences: build communication and trust - loyalty throughout the pandemic is imperative, particularly to staff. Be open about problems; everyone can contribute to a solution, though the leader must take the final decision.
• Plan for the future - example: Plan for the post-pandemic world. Consider how fundamental media trends will change in your country so you can position your company to take advantage of potential opportunities and exit the crisis in the best possible position.

In addition to the recommendations above, another PRIMED partner, Free Press Unlimited, offers COVID-19 resources available to help media respond to the crisis, which are linked to from here.