By Andrew Blum*
After the 2016 we’ve just had as a country and from a PR and media perspective, what kind of year will 2017 be? Hold onto your seats!
1. The Trump Effect
President-elect Donald Trump upended politics, PR and the media in 2016. We can expect more of the same this year. His Twitter feed is the new Fireside Chat of the FDR era but with much more bite and immediacy. His relations with the press have been testy at best. I can see a much more contentious White House-media relationship and changes to the daily press briefings.
2. Fake News
This, unfortunately, will continue to be a problem. But since the start of the Internet it was always reader beware. Things have gotten so bad now one has to ask should we start labeling real news with a “Real News” headline? The hiring of ex-CNN anchor Campbell Brown is a smart move by Facebook to deal with the fake news epidemic. Let’s hope it helps.
3. Video and Social Media 
We will see more video than ever. Watching video is more engaging than reading text. Additional online news and web sites are posting a greater volume of videos to meet demand and help generate advertising revenue.
Social media will continue to be wildly popular – but with some ups and downs in audience and financial performance. Snapchat, for one, seems poised for a massive expansion after its Initial Public Offering. However, other social media companies that went public have had a rocky time as public companies.
4. Print publications
The move to digital continues. More print publications are either going out of business or going fully to online. It used to be that online PR placements were not as highly regarded as print but that has been changing. An online PR hit will soon gain universal acceptance, replacing print.
5. PR agencies
PR Agencies will face more pressure from clients to deliver quality while holding the line on fees. They’ll have no choice but to do so if they are to remain competitive.
*Andrew Blum is a PR consultant and media trainer and principal of AJB Communications. He has directed PR for professional services and financial services firms, NGOs, agencies and other clients. As a PR executive, and formerly as a journalist, he has been involved on both sides of the media aisle in some of the most media intensive crises of the past 25 years. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter: @ajbcomms
