Whether I’m teaching a journalism course, or a communications course, I always start my classes the same way – by asking my students, “What’s going on today?”
I don’t mean to catch up on their weekend activities, but I expect them to have an understanding of local and national news. The reason for this is because newsrooms start their shifts in the same way, with a staff meeting to go over the stories of the day, whether local or national.
No matter which direction a graduate goes with their degree, the goal is for that awareness of the world to follow them. It’s important when posting on social media to not be tone deaf to what else is going on in the world, but it’s equally important for journalists covering stories in their communities, and for PR professionals pitching new releases to newsrooms.
Sometimes that news is obvious: a new virus spreading across the globe, a bank crashing in the Silicon Valley, or a president being indicted. But, other times, it isn’t so obvious. And in today’s digital age, journalists are looking for something to add to those stories.
How do you capture an audience when they have an infinite number of resources to choose from? Your sources.
Remember the old saying, ‘It’s not what you know, it’s who.’
PR is the bridge between those sources and the journalists who tell the stories that matter. But, it can be unpredictable.
PR can happen in a moment, or it can take days, sometimes weeks for outlets to dig in based on what they’re working on (if a reporter is on deadline, they are not going to respond to an email or call).
While we can deliver a story, we can’t guarantee that any given newsroom will find it newsworthy. But, it helps to understand how and why journalists are making their decisions.
In that staff meeting, producers, editors and other newsroom leaders will determine a story’s validity and newsworthiness in comparison to the stories of the day. Angles to the story are discussed, along with potential sources. Aside from just covering the story of the day, the newsroom will want to know what a journalist is adding to the story. What angle or source do they have that their competitor does not?
Getting a news release directly to a reporter in a timely manner is vital, not only so it can be connected to the news of the day, but reporters have the opportunity in these meetings to vouch for their sources and their angles.
We, as PR professionals, deliver that to journalists. But, it’s not a guarantee that your story, or your expert voice gets placed every single time.
A lighter news story, like a feature, or an evergreen piece that can be published at any time and maintain its validity will often get passed up for heavier, breaking news of the day that can’t be put off.
This is why it’s important for PR to be equal parts story + persistence.
While we can never guarantee anything with earned PR, in short, we’ll continue to be persistent.
Helpful tips:
- Have your major news release at least a week in advance so we can pre-pitch major news. Even if the full release isn’t ready, we can embargo major nuggets of news for select outlets to increase our likelihood that it goes live the day or week we want it to.
- Sharing news before it’s live with reporters gives them an inside scoop, which is always appreciated. Giving them something that isn’t on the wire allows them to be the first to tell the story.
PR is unpredictable.
And the industry relies heavily on our media counterparts, who are facing staffing shortages. It’s estimated that there are seven PR professionals for every one journalist.
Speaking on the unpredictability, PR can happen in a moment, or it can take days, sometimes weeks for outlets to dig in based on what they’re working on (if a reporter is on deadline, they are not going to respond to an email or call).
While we can deliver a story, we can’t guarantee that any given newsroom will find it newsworthy. But, it helps to understand how and why journalists are making their decisions.
There are two main pathways a story enters a newsroom: directly to a reporter, or to an assignment desk manager. If a reporter receives a dozen pitches a day, the assignment desk manager receives two dozen. It’s their job and they are the main connection between sources and the newsroom.
It’s vital for PR professionals to make connections directly with reporters; the odds of the story being picked up are just higher than competing in the inbox of an assignment desk manager.
Each shift is typically started with a newsroom meeting to discuss potential stories, this is where producers, editors and other newsroom leaders will determine a story’s validity and newsworthiness in comparison to the stories of the day. It’s also where reporters will be assigned their story for the day. This brings a second reason why direct connections to reporters are so vital, because in these news meetings, they can vouch for the stories they want to cover.
A lighter news story, like a feature, or an evergreen piece that can be published at any time and maintain its validity will often get passed up for heavier, breaking news of the day that can’t be put off.
This is why it’s important for PR to be equal parts story + persistence.
While we can never guarantee anything with earned PR, in short, we’ll continue to be persistent.
Helpful tips:
- Have your major news release at least a week in advance so we can pre-pitch major news. Even if the full release isn’t ready, we can embargo major nuggets of news for select outlets to increase our likelihood that it goes live the day or week we want it to.
- Sharing news before it’s live with reporters gives them an inside scoop, which is always appreciated. Giving them something that isn’t on the wire allows them to be the first to tell the story.