Websites as media tools

We live in an age where the Internet opens up endless possibilities.  I recently read about the concept of a virtual pressroom.  This concept is a good example of what the future of the Internet will look like – segmented for different audiences.  The web used to be about just a place where you could cheaply deliver a generic message.  Now, the public is demanding messages to be tailored to them.

Segmentation first starts occurring with the explosion of cable television.  Audiences were broken up into groups like the Golf channel, Weather Channel, and Women’s Entertainment.  The Internet has accelerated this segmentation and has created a increased need to effectively target your message to your audience.

The virtual pressroom is designed to target your messages and resources for the media.  It is a resource that provides members of the press with a wealth of information that they can’t find anywhere else.  Members of the press are going to more likely to contact your organization if it is positioned as a knowledgeable resource.

“[The virtual pressroom] is a way to provide background for news stories, publishable photos and graphics, video clips, press contacts, and opportunities for setting up expert interviews—and make it available to the press 24/7, online.”

A great example of the virtual pressroom was put together by the biotech industry - http://www.clonesafety.org