Media Coverage
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Increase positive media coverage of the project
Improving
Carpathian Mountains
Romania
Problem: To scale up nature restoration efforts, Foundation Conservation Carpathia aims to achieve positive national and international recognition. This will both increase support for a Făgăraș Mountains national park in the project area, and increase restoration efforts elsewhere in Romania and internationally.
Action: Starting in 2019, a structured media communication strategy was developed, focusing on media trips and consistent outreach.
Indicator: Monitoring all media coverage mentioning the work of Foundation Conservation Carpathia, and whether narratives are positive or negative, measures the success of outreach and education efforts as well as informing future efforts to achieve a positive public perception of restoration in Carpathia.
Methods
Quantity and quality of local, national and international media coverage was measured by a contracted PR agency, based on the following metrics:
- Number of media mentions
- Size of audience reached
- Media channels used
- Tone of voice (positive, negative or neutral)
- Topic
- Equivalent Advertising Value – the cost of equivalent exposure through paid-for media coverage, based on duration (broadcast), space (print) or visibility and reach (online), and the advertising rates of relevant media outlets
Results
Media coverage about Foundation Conservation Carpathia’s restoration work in the Făgăraș Mountains increased by 152% over six years, rising from 937 mentions in 2019 to 2359 mentions in 2024, while the number of negative mentions decreased over the same period (Fig. 1).
Figure 1: Number of positive and negative media mentions of Foundation Conservation Carpathia’s restoration work in the Făgăraș Mountains between 2019 and 2024.
Audience reached also increased, with a significant breakthrough in 2022 (Fig. 2). Equivalent advertising value for the total period was estimated at €6.2 million, and this also increased significantly over from 2019-2024.
Figure 2: Audience size and equivalent advertising value for media mentions of Foundation Conservation Carpathia’s restoration work in the Făgăraș Mountains between 2019 and 2024.
Interpretation
A structured media communication strategy was first developed in 2019. However, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly slowed media engagement for nearly two years from March 2020. Romania faced numerous travel and health restrictions, making it difficult to organize field trips with journalists.
Media coverage began to rise again in 2022, driven by a return to normality, the implementation of a structured media trip programme, and strengthened communication efforts. Additionally, media monitoring became more effective with the support of a specialised provider.
Data also shows that between 2023 and 2024, media mentions have stabilized at around 2,300, driven by multiple press trips, organized events, and other communication opportunities.
Media trip focusing on bison reintroduction. Photo: Foundation Conservation Carpathia.
Media trip to Dobroneagu. Photo: Foundation Conservation Carpathia.
Lessons learned
Effective communication across multiple channels—including television, radio, online press, and influencer collaborations—has proven essential in amplifying messages about the national park and conservation efforts. Foundation Conservation Carpathia’s significant audience growth can be primarily attributed to its strategic presence on national TV networks and radio stations, which have dramatically expanded reach and engagement. Notably however, local media channels are equally valuable in meeting Foundation Conservation Carpathia’s aims, even if their audience is smaller. Foundation Conservation Carpathia aims to target both local media, to reach local communities, and national and international channels, to gain support and broader visibility.
This analysis also enabled identification of the top sources of both favourable and unfavourable news stories. Most negative stories came from online and social media coverage. In contrast, Romania’s most reputable media outlets reported on Foundation Conservation Carpathia’s activities in a predominantly positive or neutral tone. The most widely covered positive topics in the media related to key restoration efforts, including the reintroduction of bison, scientific studies on wolf monitoring and reforestation.
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