By Mark Macias Founder of MACIAS PR | Former NBC Executive Producer
The summer of 2025 was unlike any other when it came to working with reporters, producers and journalists. Normally, when I get an unsolicited call from a reporter, it’s a good thing. But a few of these unexpected calls came with bad news.
Many former colleagues wanted to pick my brain on what to do next after they were let go. It was a sobering reminder that the shrinking newsroom isn’t an abstract trend; it’s affecting talented journalists we’ve pitched for years. Even more personal, it’s impacting former colleagues and friends.
This shrinking newsroom is a major reason why it will get harder to secure media coverage. If you don’t have a strategy and understand the media narrative, you are at a sharp disadvantage.
How Newsroom Layoffs are Impacting PR
I wrote a blog in November 2024 that predicted how newsroom layoffs would impact publicity and PR in the coming year. I expected to see more layoffs in 2025, and knew first-hand how it would impact news coverage.
At NBC, I had to lay off several producers and production assistants from my Special Projects unit after our budget was cut.
By Mark Macias Founder of MACIAS PR | Former NBC Executive Producer
Startups run lean. Every dollar is scrutinized. I understand that as both the founder of a startup and by working with boot-strapped entrepreneurs. You can’t afford to gamble on a junior PR associate learning on the job when your business is at stake.
Before I launched MACIAS PR in 2009, I spent years making editorial decisions inside the newsroom. As Executive Producer with NBC and Senior Producer with CBS, I approved the stories that were broadcast — and which were cut. This insider media experience shapes the DNA of MACIAS PR.
It’s also a driving differentiator for our startup clients. You get senior-level media expertise without the big agency price tag.
Why That Matters for Startups
Most large PR agencies will pitch you with their senior team. It’s a great sell with all of those publicists behind you and a beautiful 20-page deck that lures you in. But the reality – you will be passed off to junior account executives once the contract is signed.
With MACIAS PR, you will always work with an experienced media strategist. You won’t be passed off to a junior publicist and your team will remain consistent. As long as MACIAS PR is in business, your team won’t change.
By Mark Macias Founder of MACIAS PR | Former NBC Executive Producer
One of the most common questions I hear from business owners and startup founders is: “How do I measure the ROI of PR?”
It’s a fair question — and one I recently explored in depth in a thought leadership article for Forbes. (You can read the full Forbes piece here, but I’ve summarized the five core takeaways below.)
Contrary to popular belief, you can measure PR ROI — you just need to know what to look for beyond vanity metrics.
1️⃣ Not All Media Placements Are Equal — Focus on Quality Over Quantity
It’s easy to count clips and headlines, but that doesn’t mean your PR is working.
A mention in TechCrunch, Forbes, or CNBC can have 10x more value than 10 articles on lesser-known blogs. And relevance matters: being featured in the right publication for your audience is what drives credibility, not just volume.
🧠 Key metric: Track strategic, high-authority media hits that align with your target customers.
Project Focus: This client case study looks at how MACIAS PR helped elevate the brand of an emerging AI and digital infrastructure client.
Overview: MACIAS PR launched a media campaign for Mawson Infrastructure Group, a leader in sustainable digital infrastructure. It is listed on the NASDAQ.
Our media coverage emphasized the company’s role in modernizing America’s industrial heartland and how it is contributing to the AI revolution while addressing environmental challenges.
This case study explores the media exposure secured for Mawson across major publications, including a cover story in Newsweek and expert analysis with the Financial Times, Marketwatch, MIT Review and others.
Case Study: Securing Media Coverage for Burke Rehabilitation Hospital
Burke Rehabilitation Hospital, one of the nation’s oldest and most respected rehabilitation centers, is located in Westchester County, just outside New York City. Despite its stellar reputation, securing media coverage for hospitals beyond the city limits has historically been a challenge. During my tenure as Executive Producer at NBC, I witnessed this firsthand—newsrooms often prioritize stories that are easier to access, opting to interview experts within a short commute rather than traveling over an hour for a story.
With media budgets tightening and travel constraints increasing, this geographic bias made it even harder for hospitals like Burke to gain visibility. That’s where MACIAS PR stepped in.
A Strategic Media Approach
MACIAS PR led a proactive media campaign for Burke, leveraging our enterprise-driven strategy to secure high-profile coverage. Our approach resulted in features in ABC, Fox, Channel 11, Metro New York, and The Wall Street Journal—outlets that might not have otherwise considered a rehabilitation hospital outside of NYC.
Our strategy was built around identifying and amplifying Burke’s unique strengths. We focused on their groundbreaking research, clinical trials, and compelling human-interest stories that stood out in a crowded media landscape. One of our most successful campaigns centered on a video game developed by Burke researchers to aid stroke recovery, capturing the media’s attention with its innovative approach to rehabilitation.
Beyond traditional hospital coverage, we also positioned Burke’s health club as an exclusive fitness center for individuals over 40, attracting new clients by tapping into a niche health and wellness market.
Results-Driven PR
By crafting compelling narratives and leveraging insider media expertise, MACIAS PR ensured Burke’s expertise reached a wider audience. Click herefor a more detailed look at our media coverage.
If you’re looking to elevate your organization’s media presence, contact MACIAS PR today for a customized PR estimate or to schedule a consultation.
About MACIAS PR
MACIAS PR was founded in 2009 by Mark Macias – an Executive Producer with NBC and Senior Producer with CBS in New York. City & State Magazine named Macias one of the top 50 best PR pros in New York in 2022 and 2024. Finance Monthly named MACIAS PR the 2017-2020 Strategic PR Firm of the Year, and PR Firm of the Year. Message us if you’d like to get a customized strategy.
Case Study: Raising Awareness for Encephalitis through Strategic PR
Client: Encephalitis Society PR Agency: MACIAS PR Campaign Timeline: November 2022 – February 2023 Target Markets: United States, Canada, and Mexico
Background
Encephalitis is a severe and potentially life-threatening condition characterized by inflammation of the brain. Despite its severity, less than 1% of Americans are aware of the condition, making it a challenging topic to promote in mainstream media.
In November 2022, the CEO of the Encephalitis Society approached MACIAS PR to develop a strategic media campaign to raise awareness for World Encephalitis Day in February 2023. The goal was to generate widespread media coverage across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, highlighting the condition and its impact on public health.
I recently wrote a story for Forbes that breaks down a hidden group of consumers that many PR campaigns miss. You can read that Forbes editorial by clicking here. A synopsis of that thought leadership is below in case you are short on time.
The social scientists define emotional motivators as those who are not shy about expressing their feelings; when they “feel,” everyone around them feels, too. And when they like something, everyone knows it.
When a PR strategy taps into emotional motivators, you can earn a brand ambassador better than any celebrity spokesperson. In my experience, these motivators help bring a higher return on investment for any PR campaign and increase the chances that your brand will spread via word-of-mouth.
Want to learn more? Click here to read my full thought leadership on Forbes.
ABOUT MACIAS PR
MACIAS PR was founded in 2009 by Mark Macias – a former Executive Producer with NBC and Senior Producer with CBS in New York. Marketing peers named MACIAS PR the Best Strategic PR Firm while Finance Monthly named us the Top PR consulting firm from 2015 to 2021. City & State Magazine has named Mark Macias a Top 50 Political PR Player in New York.
For small businesses and startups, public relations (PR) is one of the most important tools to develop a reputation that drives sales.
PR helps with business development by elevating the brand of your company, shaping public opinion in a positive way and scaling your business message with the media. When you’ve got the right PR strategy in place, it will boost your business in a number of ways.
So what should you budget for public relations? And how can you start working towards getting the benefits it can offer your business? MACIAS PR created a calculator to help you identify the budget for your startup or established business. You can calculate the potential rate by clicking here, and get an answer back from our team.
Business owners always ask me how can they measure the ROI of PR. The question inspired a recent thought leadership article I wrote for Forbes, which you can read here.
Contrary to what many business owners and entrepreneurs think, you can measure an effective PR campaign. Here are 5 approaches that I broke down in my Forbes article. You can read that article if you’d like to hear more in-depth on these approaches.
In the height of the pandemic, MACIAS PR, published a consumer survey that looked at the waning influence of commercials and online ads. It’s valuable insight that is still relevant today, especially as consumer spending slows during this economic downturn.
The online survey was conducted July 15-16th, 2020 and involved more than 2,000 Americans who answered questions detailing the best approach to get them to buy new products.
The survey found a staggering 70 percent of participants said TV commercials no longer influence them to buy products. In contrast, roughly 45 percent said positive online consumer reviews and positive stories on the news influence them the most when it comes to buying a new product or service.
