NEW DELHI — As the digital revolution continues to transform the communications landscape, the Public Relations Society Delhi (PRSD) hosted a thought-provoking webinar titled “Paper to Pixel”, shedding light on the shift from traditional press clippings to real-time digital media monitoring tools.
The session at the weekend (August 17) featured Ms Archana Satpathy, General Manager and Chief of Communication at Rourkela Steel Plant (SAIL), and Rohit Bhalla, Director of BIUS Media Monitor, as keynote speakers. Both experts shared insights on how digital tools were redefining media engagement, crisis management, and audience targeting in the modern era.
Ms Satpathy emphasised the value of media monitoring as a strategic and preventive communication tool. “Press clippings or media monitoring are like our personal alarm system,” she said. “When a critical story breaks, we get a real-time alert, enabling us to act before it turns into a five-alarm fire.”
Highlighting the shift from reactive to proactive communication, she explained how digital alerts and data-driven insights help organisations stay ahead of reputational risks and public sentiment shifts.
In his presentation, Bhalla traced the journey from manual media tracking to AI-driven analytics. “There was a time when we had to go looking for news. Now, news finds us,” he remarked, pointing to the algorithmic personalisation of news feeds. He noted that this transformation calls for smarter engagement strategies by PR professionals to reach the right audiences in a cluttered, always-on news environment.
Changing Times, Changing Tools
Moderating the session, GS Bawa, Secretary of PRSD, offered a nostalgic yet revealing look at how far the profession has come. “We’ve gone from waiting anxiously for morning clippings to receiving instant updates with the press of a button,” he said, highlighting the efficiency and precision offered by modern monitoring platforms.
The webinar drew participation from communication professionals across industries and served as a knowledge-sharing platform on how to harness digital tools not just for monitoring, but also for sentiment analysis, performance metrics, and strategic planning.
Concluding the event, Ms Priyadarshani Sharma, Member of PRSD’s Governing Body, extended a vote of thanks to the speakers and participants, reaffirming PRSD’s commitment to continuous learning and professional excellence.
