Regional newspapers are flirting with the idea of setting up their own PR agencies after a senior industry figure urged news providers to consider the move as a way of bolstering revenue.
Neil Benson, editorial director of regionals at Trinity Mirror, called on regional newspaper groups to tap into their wealth of editorial resources and journalism skills by developing their businesses and moving into public relations.
He said that the best of PR agencies were often run by ex-editorial people and that the people who worked in the regional press knew what it took to hit the spot in terms of press releases.
So why, he added, shouldn't all regional publishers think about launching arms-length PR agencies or a full-service agency.
Benson touted the idea as part of a series of recommendations to help secure the long-term future of regional newspapers, which need to find new ways of generating revenue if they are to survive.
His comments have been met with divided opinion within the PR business, with many practitioners reflecting the views of journalists, who believe that potential conflicts of interest could threaten editorial integrity.
However, there are those who believe that the move clearly demonstrates the importance of PR within the news agenda, although doubts remain as to whether journalists have the business acumen to cut the mustard in a commercial marketing environment.
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