Approaching the media, Part I
First, you have to have a "newsy" story to tell. That is, a story that will interest, or educate, or move, or entertain, a significant section of the media audience.
Is your story newsworthy, special, meaningful, interesting, moving, entertaining, informative?
If your story does qualify, then get ready to approach the media. To do this, whether in person or through a news release, first think of how you can make the media's job easy:
- Know what you want to say
- Find out who to say it to
- Know what each outlet offers
- Know what each outlet needs
- Find out when they need it
- And how they need it
If you send a news release, it becomes merely one of scores received each day. Is it "news"? Will it really engage a significant proportion of that media outlet's market audience? Is it "our kind of story" for that outlet?
For all the academic attempts to define "news", there is one definition that has long stood the test of time: "News is anything the editor says it is."
We suggest you get professional help to get your story accepted: Clarity Communications Inc. can assess your story with you, advise you on how best to get it out to the public through the media, write and issue your news release, and more.
Clarity Communications Inc. provides expert professional services in all forms of public, media and community relations and media training, in Vancouver BC Canada and in Washington State
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