What Makes News?

Research into the news outlets in your area is really important, but the next step I thinking about why you want media coverage and what your angle is. Do you want to let people know that you exist, do you want to persuade people to attend an event, do you want to advertise a service or to influence decisions? And how will you make your story stand out from the thousands of other received each day by the press?

Angles that make headlines

Human Interest

"News is people and local news is local people" (Anon).

It helps to make dry statistics come to life by finding a real person to help illustrate the story.

Surveys and reports

Always embargo reports and surveys so that the media feel they're working towards a specific deadline and to ensure that journalists cover the story at the same time. If your story appears in the paper and on the TV or radio at the same time, it gives a much stronger sense that something is really happening.

The Local Angle

You can sometimes use a national story to tell a local one. When a national story breaks, look for the local angle (and vice versa; with a local story, look for a national angle for coverage in the nationals). Many stories that end up a national headline began life as a local story.

Anniversaries and special days

Forward plan for any annual event or special day held by your organisation (such as its birthday), and then try and create a story on the back of it. Count Me In calendar is an online source of special days of interest, religious holidays and weeks of action and can be very useful.

Controversy and conflict

Emotional and controversial issues nearly always make the news and reporters can never resist the whiff of a scoop. Don't remain silent,but turn the opportunity to your advantage. Make sure you are familiar with your ‘line' and then stick by it.

The Broadcast angle

Don't forget to consider how a story will sound when selling something to radio or what pictures will look good on television. Tell them about sounds or pictures that will add atmosphere to their stories.