ABSTRACT
Journalism has been undergoing profound change, as the production, delivery, and consumption of news continue to evolve. Media relations professionals should fully understand that the rise of the internet has had a profoundly negative effect on journalism. Government investigations found Russians had meddled in the 2016 presidential election via Facebook and other social media platforms by creating fake news stories. Media relations are often one of the first tasks a new public relations practitioner is assigned, and it is a high-visibility activity for any public relations professional. Editors function as gatekeepers, sifting through hundreds of news releases and calls weekly from organizations seeking media coverage. The news media was a gatekeeper; editors decided which news items were worthy of publishing or broadcasting to the masses. Public relations professionals should be knowledgeable about the application of social media to the overall public relations strategy for the organization.
