This informal CPD article on Media Communications – Preferential Treatment was provided by Brian Weatherley at B2B Media Training an award-winning trade journalist, video presenter, business-to-business magazine editor and media trainer.
When it comes to running a successful business what external information sources can’t you live without? Thanks to smart algorithms, news providers have never been in a better position to know what we’re interested in, and to make sure we get it, and fast. Of course they sometimes get it wrong. Who hasn’t received e-mails that leave us wondering ‘Why am I getting this?’ However, the fact is our news ‘preferences’ have gained a whole new currency to the hidden collators of personal data.
Of course, we all like using news feeds. Who’s got the time to search for vital information? And thanks to our personal preferences, we can get all the news, offers and data we want, when we want it, straight to our PC tablet or smartphone. In return, the people sending us that information can build up a universe of ‘people like us’. And the more they send of the stuff we like, the more likely we are to click on it. It’s why political parties are so keen on social media—depending on our likes, they can determine if we’re ‘one of them’. Ditto the retailers and their ‘People that bought this bought that too’ recommendations.
“There are things we don’t know, we don’t know”
Why am I telling you this? Because by restricting the information we receive to what you like, we risk missing something we didn’t know you needed. Or as Donald Rumsfeld once said “There are things we don’t know, we don’t know.” He was right. Let me explain. To a greater-or-lesser degree we’re all guilty of ‘confirmation bias’, the tendency to seek-out and favour information which confirms, or strengthens, our own personal viewpoint or interests. Or to put it another way, “I know what I like, and I like what I know. And that’s all I need to know” whether that’s a favourite news-feed, website, blog-post or podcast.
Receiving relevant business news
Receiving news and information that’s relevant to your business in quick-time clearly lets you stay ahead of the game. However, the more you let your preferences and likes decide what information you get, the greater the risk of missing something of equal importance because you didn’t ask for it. That’s why in media training I encourage people to seek out information beyond their own ‘preference pool’. A trend in say, construction or civil engineering could have cross-over implications for an-altogether different industry sector, like agriculture, aviation or bio-medicine. Naturally, it means taking the time to decide what extra information might benefit you and your business. But if don’t look for it, how on earth will you know its significance?
The benefit of different insights
Having new or different insights on the world will not only benefit your business and personal outlook, but when a journalist calls, your broader insights could also become their broader insights too. Suddenly, you don’t just know a lot about your own back-yard, but the wider world too, and how they both come together and why. And for the journalist desperately looking for ‘the bigger picture’ story it could mean all the difference between being reported…or ignored.
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