I returned from a short vacation to learn that La Prensa de San Antonio has ended its run. What a loss for the city of San Antonio. The Duran family and their staff worked hard to tell positive stories that benefited an often underrepresented community. They offered Spanish and bilingual readers a free publication to enjoy and were often a friendly resource for organizations who had a story to share. I am grateful to La Prensa for helping me share numerous stories over the years: for nonprofits who had needs; for extraordinary citizens who had inspiration to share; and for brands who wanted to connect authentically with Spanish speakers. Nina, family and staff, we know you did your best to keep the legacy going. Thank you for that.

On a more personal note, I was a scholarship recipient of the La Prensa Foundation for two semesters as a new graduate student. The first to graduate with a bachelors in my family, I had a tremendous amount of debt from my undergraduate loans. I was just working my way out of that college debt through Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace program when my obtaining a masters degree became a real possibility. The Durans and the La Prensa Foundation believed in what I was trying to achieve and granted me a scholarship to get started. As much as it's said our city wants more San Antonians/Latinas/women/minorities/etc. to earn these degrees, the money isn't easily found for grad school or beyond. That kickstart meant the world to me as an in-debt, nonprofit employee. It was the only financial aid I received for those years. Thank you to Mrs. Duran and the Foundation for all your efforts to fill those financial aid gaps in so many students' lives.   

The Media Relations Impact

As a consequence of the digital age, traditional media relations continues to be a challenge for PR pros as we adjust to leaner newsrooms, smaller newsholes and even closed media outlets. Earning coverage takes a great story angle, relationships, time and sometimes a bit of luck. Relationships can be tough to maintain when journalists face an unstable career path and job security. They have more work on their plate, less time to work on their stories and more pressure than ever to build their own personal brands online. Sadly, this news is a continuing trend as newsroom layoffs happen across the country. Our own big daily laid off 14 journalists recently. Some members of the PR community are hosting a luncheon networking mixer for them this very week. The La Prensa staff are welcome to join as well. (Contact me if you want more info or to help.)

Organizations: Embrace a Marketing Mix

Telling your brand’s story on channels you own such as your organization’s website, social media platforms and more will continue to help complement media relations efforts. As a true friend of journalism, I hope our community will embrace its value in our society. Buy ads, buy a subscription, and help them do their job effectively when you do request coverage. Know that today it takes a mix of channels, tactics and ideally an advertising budget to get your message out effectively.