When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”

Those were the wise words of Pittsburgh’s own Fred Rogers, who for more than three decades, taught lifelong lessons of kindness, acceptance and empathy to millions of children across America through his critically-acclaimed television series Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Mr. Rogers practiced what he preached beyond the screen, embodying the true essence of “a good neighbor” through the compassion he exuded to both friends and strangers alike.

In a 1999 interview with the Academy of the Arts, Mr. Rogers spoke about the importance of positive, localized media coverage highlighting relief efforts during times of societal turmoil. “There will always be helpers on the sidelines,” he said. “That’s why I think news programs (should) make a conscious effort of showing rescue teams, showing medical people, showing anybody who’s coming into a place where there’s tragedy. …Because if you look for the helpers, you’ll know that there’s hope.” 

His desire for a spotlight on the helpers resonates more than ever today. While the ripple effects of an unprecedented global pandemic continue to alter life as we know it, the helpers of our communities have emerged to the forefront.

In recent weeks, the Pittsburgh media landscape has shared compelling stories about countless local helpers in the fight against COVID-19. From multi-million dollar relief efforts and initiatives by Pittsburgh’s top nonprofit foundations to one woman’s donation of 1,000 handsewn masks for police officers, we’ve observed notable coverage themes across local publications that highlight the compassion, expertise, innovation and resilience in Pittsburgh’s response to COVID-19. 

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Good Neighbors

Pittsburgh is a close-knit community with a knack for rallying together during times of crisis. People are always willing to lend a helping hand. When highlighting prominent COVID-19 relief actions, local publications are balancing between organizational initiatives, diversity/inclusion efforts, and human-interest features.

Relevant Articles:

• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 22: POISE foundation launches fund to help black community during COVID-19 crisis 
• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 20: After World Down Syndrome Day relay postponed, Pittsburgh mom selling masks for cause 
• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 15: Thomas Tull’s $4.2 million donation a nod to Jackie Robinson
• NextPittsburgh, April 14: R.K. Mellon Foundation to provide $15 million for COVID-19 relief grants

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Medical Missions 

Like our friends up in Boston, Matter Pittsburgh is located within one of the top medical hubs in the country. The city’s major healthcare systems are pioneering breakthrough COVID-19 research focused on vaccine development, therapeutic treatments, antibody testing and more. Local publications are emphasizing in-depth reporting on vaccine research, alternative treatment options, PPE access and expanded testing capacity. 

Relevant Articles:

• Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, April 23: How Pittsburgh paramedics are assessing potential COVID-19 patients 
• NextPittsburgh, April 23:  Allegheny Health Network adopts p100 masks made by MSA 
• Pittsburgh Business Times, April 21: With increased testing, UPMC to move ahead with more surgeries 
• Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, April 21: First Pittsburgh patients treated with plasma at UPMC 
• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 19: WVU is designing Smart Rings, Apps and Algorithms to identify COVID-19 before symptoms occur

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Technology Solutions

Home to a thriving technology scene with a variety of companies spearheading digital innovation, it’s no surprise that Pittsburgh’s technology capabilities are already being utilized to combat COVID-19. Local media is focusing on how advanced technology can support healthcare, education and contact tracing during the global pandemic.

Relevant Articles: 

• Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, April 23: Wolf Administration to use CMU developed dashboard in reopening PA 
• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 23: Technology investment allows North Allegheny to focus on online education 
• CBS Pittsburgh, April 23: Tech Center: Early COVID-19 Detection Tools 
• Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, April 21: CMU professor develops contact tracing App using ultrasound technology

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Local Impact

The impact of COVID-19 on a local level is evident throughout Pittsburgh. The health and wellbeing of vulnerable populations, as well as economic implications for the hospitality sector, service industry and small businesses are among the most alarming realities. COVID-19’s local impact has been covered with a delicate balance of honoring  the lives and legacies of local victims while highlighting unique challenges and inspirational stories of triumph.

Relevant Articles: 

• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 24: The Faces of COVID-19 
• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 23: PA’s nursing homes most vulnerable during COVID-19 
• PublicSource, April 22: For Pittsburgh’s immigrants, COVID-19 amplifies language barriers
• Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, April 22: Versatile Monroeville caterer changes business model in face of restrictions 
• PublicSource, April 21:From bras to bars to daycare centers, tremendous pain in the Pittsburgh small business sector

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In Mr. Rogers’ image, we can all do our part to spread hope as we navigate the twists and turns of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Here at Matter, we’ll continue monitoring media coverage in the Pittsburgh area and beyond to keep a pulse on the state of our local communities. We’d love to hear from you. Are there any stories that have caught your eye? Are there others that still need to be told? Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us!

We are fortunate at Matter to work with a myriad of amazing organizations that are contributing directly to the fight against COVID-19. The Matter Health team is proud to work closely on the second line supporting dozens of healthcare companies that are locked directly in the frontline fight against the pandemic. Whether telehealth solutions for physician practices, apps to triage COVID-19 patients in the urgent care setting, digital mental health care, insurers waiving member cost-sharing for COVID-19 treatment or mission critical system integrations for hospitals and health systems, we are seeing amazing innovation and response across our client portfolio. With that said, we wanted to shine a light on some of the work our client partners are doing to make a difference during this unprecedented time.    

• Experity, a leading health IT solution provider for urgent care, released a free application that allows urgent care clinics to connect with patients virtually through two-way text messaging and telemedicine functionality. The COVID-19 Response Application is available to any U.S.-based urgent care center and will help clinics triage and treat COVID-19 patients remotely while limiting exposure to other patients and medical staff.  
• Modernizing Medicine, a top surgical specialty EHR, RCM and PM provider, launched its audio and video telemedicine product to better serve current and future clients and the healthcare community at large. During the COVID-19 crisis, the company plans to offer its modmed® Telehealth solutions at no additional charge to current and future clients. Additionally, with the absence of trade shows, Modernizing Medicine is hosting a series of webinars covering numerous financial health topics to help providers navigate the many industry changes in the wake of COVID-19.
• Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI) took additional steps to support its members during the COVID-19 crisis. The company announced it is temporarily waiving member cost-sharing (copays, coinsurance and deductibles) for any treatments related to COVID-19.
• SilverCloud Health has provided access to its digital mental health platform to nearly 200 million people through partnerships with Express Scripts, Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada, several leading US health systems, and the UK’s National Health System (NHS). The company also announced that it is developing a module specifically around COVID-19, which includes mental health programs and tools to help deal with challenging times, grief and loss, and sleep issues, among others. The company is also creating a program to deal with life after COVID-19 to help people with the stress and reintegration back to normal life again. It is also providing its clients expanded access to its platform for free.
• Bridge Connector is offering rapid deployment system integrations for COVID-19 use cases free of charge for six months, and has also been a leading local sponsor of a program to deliver free lunches to Nashville-area nurses.
• Evenflo, which designs and manufacturers safety products to protect infants and toddlers, has stepped up and joined with other manufacturers in Ohio to help make components for face shields to add to the state’s available personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Allego has partnered with several of the world’s top ventilator manufacturers which have formed a Ventilator Training Alliance (VTA) and are working together to create a mobile app that frontline medical providers can use to access a centralized repository of ventilator training resources. Dräger, GE Healthcare, Getinge, Hamilton Medical, Medtronic, Nihon Kohden, and Philips have joined this humanitarian training coalition.
• Kit Check is helping hospitals keep track of inventory, location, and usage of medications – more important than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic. As some hospitals see hoarding or reckless prescriptions of these drugs, Kit Check’s medication tracking and diversion risk assessment solutions empower hospital pharmacists and staff to make sure these potentially life-saving medications get to the patients who really need them.
• MDClone helps healthcare organizations leverage synthetic COVID-19 relevant data to find new ways to understand and fight the pandemic. The access to larger samples of synthetic data provides a unique perspective into new therapeutic and management insights such as demand and capacity planning, disease management, impact on overall care metrics and hospital operations, and predictions for the trajectory of tests and results.

We could not be prouder to represent these brands that are doing such important work during unprecedented times, and we’re lucky for the opportunity to tell their stories and help spread the message about their impactful work. We’re all pretty much healthcare nerds on the Matter Health team, so it’s fair to say that we’re easily excited by the things our clients do on a daily basis. With that said, it has definitely been a highlight of my career to work with so many generous organizations and people during this time. With so much uncertainty, and what seems like a new challenge to overcome with every new day, it is no small thing for our client partners to provide free solutions and services to combat the ongoing pandemic. 

If you or your organization could benefit from any of the solutions or services being offered by our clients, please feel free to reach out to me. Also, if your organization deserves to be on a list like this one, please drop me a line. We’d love to help you tell your story to ensure that your message is heard, and impact maximized. 

As communities and industries worldwide continue to adapt to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re keeping a pulse on the shifts among key media members and outlets. Digital news consumption is on the rise while the industry itself is significantly shifting to adapt to dominant coverage of the pandemic and plummeting advertising dollars.

Companies across sectors are reacting to the economic downturn by cutting back on their advertising spend, and the impact is hitting the newspaper industry hard, leading to a major wave of closures and layoffs. Recently, Bustle laid off 24 members of its staff and cut salaries for others, as well as closed down its culture site, The Outline. Buzzfeed is cutting pay for its employees, and Maven Media Brands, which operates Sports Illustrated, announced layoffs and pay cuts.

Meanwhile, the boost in digital news consumption is leading to a rise in subscriptions for the largest digital publishers, shown in a study by business management consultancy, Mather Economics. Recently, online news publishers have experienced a 60 percent increase in web traffic, according to a recent report by technology company Parse.ly. CNBC Digital hit a record number of unique visitors last month, surpassing February’s visitors by more than 200 percent to achieve 1 billion page views for the first time in a single month.

Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to dominate the news cycle. A recent analysis by Cision revealed that mentions of coronavirus recently outpaced mentions of President Trump, who has dominated news coverage since 2016.

Last month a reporter with The Seattle Times, Paige Cornwell, started the Journalist Furlough GoFundMe for journalists who have been temporarily laid off or had their hours reduced across the U.S. amid the pandemic. During this difficult time, members of the media continue to be on the move. Some of the most notable, recent changes can be found below. 

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Quartz

• Karen K. Ho has joined Quartz to cover global finance and economics.

Harvard Business Review

• Tom Stackpole joined Harvard Business Review as a senior editor covering technology and innovation after three years with Boston Magazine.

Warner Media

• WarnerMedia named Hulu co-founder Jason Kilar as CEO, effective May 1. 

Wall Street Journal

• Kim Last has been appointed as acting head of Live Journalism, following Nikki Waller’s move to the corporate team.

Digiday

• Cale Guthrie Weissman has been named the new editor at Digiday’s Modern Retail following previous roles at Fast Company, Business Insider and as a freelancer.

Washington Post

• Rachel Lerman joins the publication as a breaking news technology reporter in San Francisco following her previous role covering technology with a focus on Google at the Associated Press.

Financial Times

• Samuel Agini has been hired as the new sports business reporter.

NBC News

• Kevin Collier joins NBC News  as a reporter on its business/technology/media team covering topics around national security, cybersecurity and disinformation.

Business Insider

• Gloria Dawson takes on the role of senior editor at Business Insider overseeing its retail coverage.

Bloomberg News

• Elizabeth Elkin has been hired as a reporter to start full-time next month.

In the part one of this series, we dug into the analyst relations landscape and the importance of boutique firms as a good place to start your foray into AR.

But of course there is certainly a different level of cache that the big guys bring to the table. Being listed in a renown report goes a LONG way. 

So who are the major players in the B2B tech space and how do they stack up?

Gartner:

Often considered the gold standard of analyst firms (with a price tag to match), Gartner is a research and advisory firm providing information technology related insights for IT and other business leaders. Research provided by Gartner targets CIOs, senior IT, marketing and supply chain leaders. 

While the most costly firm, Gartner is widely regarded as the most important analyst firm in the country; if you can afford them, it makes sense to consider a subscription.

Gartner curates two of the most widely recognized reports (Magic Quadrant and Hype Cycle) for visualization of its market analysis results. EVERYONE wants to be included in the Magic Quadrant (MQ) as the definitive indicator of industry leaders. While you don’t need to have a subscription to Gartner to be included in either of these reports, it certainly helps you stay top of mind with the analysts compiling them.

Further, when Gartner talks, people listen – their research is heavily cited in top tier publications, and the create a lot of research across a lot of different focus areas. Gartner also has extensive resources available to help their clients beyond including them in research (i.e. consulting on messaging, GTM strategy, etc.).

Forrester:

Forrester is an American market research company that provides advice on existing and potential impact of technology, to its clients and the public. Known for its Wave reports, the firm also offers a variety of services including syndicated research on technology as it relates to business. Forrester publishes frequently across many different topics and the Forrester Wave is a very influential report (but definitely second fiddle to the MQ)

They know they’re not quite Gartner caliber, which will make them want to work harder for your business; account reps at Forrester are more likely than those at Gartner to give you a break on pricing and are incredibly helpful and responsive. 

Often as part of your subscription, you can negotiate credits that can be used toward a variety of analyst activities like speaking opps, consulting, webinars, analyst attendance at a customer dinner, etc. 

IDC:

International Data Corporation (IDC) is a Chinese-owned provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities. IDC’s analysis and insight helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based technology decisions and to achieve their key business objectives. 

Because IDC is a bit smaller than Gartner and Forrester, their coverage is not as extensive and they tend to have fewer analysts covering more subjects. In addition to IT, they focus much more heavily on the telco and consumer tech markets than the other firms.

Their research is heavily cited in the media, though their annual reports have far less cache than Gartner’s and Forrester’s. 

451 Research:

451 Research, which acquired the Yankee Group in 2013, is an information technology research and advisory. With a core focus on technology innovation and market disruption, the firm provides insight for leaders of the digital economy. 

451 doesn’t have the keystone reports that other firms do, but they write a lot and have some of the friendliest analysts. They are typically ALL OVER industry events, so are good to target for conference 1:1s.

Because 451 is on the smaller side, they don’t have the same level of topic coverage as the Gartners and Forresters of the world, but their sales reps are hungry for your business and always willing to negotiate on pricing for subscriptions as well as reprint rights.

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If you’re serious about an analyst program, you’re likely already working with at least one of these firms. And if you’re not, you probably should be. That said, unless you have extensive resources to devote, it doesn’t make sense to subscribe to all four, but rather pick the firm(s) that makes the most sense for your business, your unique needs and your industry. Contact us if you’d like to chat more about your analyst program and keep an eye out for our next post.