A.J. Liebling, an American journalist who did a lot of writing for the New Yorker during his reporting days once said: “People everywhere confuse what they read in the newspapers with news.”
That brings us to the age-old question: what makes a news story interesting enough to attract the media? There’s really no definitive answer to that question because sometimes it just depends on the day. Some news days are busier than others and your event, the one you have been planning for months, just does not interest the press the day that your event is being held. There’s nothing you can do about that.
You can lead reporters to your story but – if they don’t find it interesting - you can’t make them actually report on it.
Here are some general reasons that a news organization might find something you are doing worth covering:
• Your story has real or potential community impact
• There’s relevance to an ongoing issue or community need
• There’s a connection, or “tie-in” with an ongoing story or larger interest or a “tie-in”, with a national holiday or observance
• Is your story visual? (Both for television and newspapers. Remember: Newspapers need great photos!)
• If your story is unique in some way
• Convenience—if the time, place and location of your story easily fits into the plans of the media outlet
• Credibility—both your credibility and the credibility of those who are connected with you, your organization or your event
• Celebrity involvement
• If there is large community participation
To be honest, news often is hard to define. Editors will tell you that news has to be interesting, entertaining, shocking, intriguing or funny. It can be something that affects a lot of people, or sometimes maybe just a small segment of the population. By definition, news is something that’s new. However, old topics get coverage too.
The bottom line is that there is no tried and true hook that will guarantee media coverage for you. Many times, the negative aspects of stories get coverage and with good reason. There are reporters in newsrooms all across the country searching for positive news stories to cover. Sometimes they just can’t get the approval to report those stories from the people above them on the media outlet food chain. But keep trying.
Positive, solution oriented stories do creep their way into local news coverage now and again. Maybe your positive story will be the next one.
That brings us to the age-old question: what makes a news story interesting enough to attract the media? There’s really no definitive answer to that question because sometimes it just depends on the day. Some news days are busier than others and your event, the one you have been planning for months, just does not interest the press the day that your event is being held. There’s nothing you can do about that.
You can lead reporters to your story but – if they don’t find it interesting - you can’t make them actually report on it.
Here are some general reasons that a news organization might find something you are doing worth covering:
• Your story has real or potential community impact
• There’s relevance to an ongoing issue or community need
• There’s a connection, or “tie-in” with an ongoing story or larger interest or a “tie-in”, with a national holiday or observance
• Is your story visual? (Both for television and newspapers. Remember: Newspapers need great photos!)
• If your story is unique in some way
• Convenience—if the time, place and location of your story easily fits into the plans of the media outlet
• Credibility—both your credibility and the credibility of those who are connected with you, your organization or your event
• Celebrity involvement
• If there is large community participation
To be honest, news often is hard to define. Editors will tell you that news has to be interesting, entertaining, shocking, intriguing or funny. It can be something that affects a lot of people, or sometimes maybe just a small segment of the population. By definition, news is something that’s new. However, old topics get coverage too.
The bottom line is that there is no tried and true hook that will guarantee media coverage for you. Many times, the negative aspects of stories get coverage and with good reason. There are reporters in newsrooms all across the country searching for positive news stories to cover. Sometimes they just can’t get the approval to report those stories from the people above them on the media outlet food chain. But keep trying.
Positive, solution oriented stories do creep their way into local news coverage now and again. Maybe your positive story will be the next one.
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