Headlines
Public relations tips, tactics and trends
Volume
One, Number ThreeWelcome to Headlines, a free newsletter published by Polaris Public Relations with practical information about the PR industry. What is news? The topic of news—what makes news and what doesn’t—is a subject of some debate amongst public relations practitioners and even amongst the media themselves. It’s a topic worth examining since we’re sometimes asked to issue news releases we don’t consider newsworthy, while more interesting initiatives go unnoticed. Even newsrooms engage in heated debate about which story should lead or appear ‘above the fold.’ So what is news? A colleague of mine once told the following story in order to demonstrate what news is: A politician in the north-eastern United States invited media to attend a news conference. At the conference, instead of making an announcement about issues relevant to his constituents, the politician committed suicide by putting a gun to his head and pulling the trigger.Did Canadian media report on the incident? The answer is no. They did not consider it newsworthy since it wasn’t relevant, timely or interesting to their audiences. News is what people are talking about and if they’re not talking about it in Canada, media here won’t report on it. In a nutshell, here’s what makes news: 1. Timeliness Breaking news, or immediate information about something that just happened and that matters to a defined audience, dominates print and broadcast coverage for as long as the story is relevant. 2. Proximity Most media are interested in stories with a local angle. National papers and national news typically cover events from around the country. But local media will usually follow announcements from their geographic area. 3. Conflict Conflict involving people, companies or government makes news. People like to read and hear about negative stories and the media knows it. There are even entire publications dedicated to gossip and controversy—consider the popularity of Frank magazine in some circles. 4. Eminence and prominence Some individuals are newsworthy just because of their stature in society. Thousands of families enjoy amusement park rides every year and it doesn’t make the news. But when Diana, Princess of Wales rode a roller coaster with her two sons the media covered it. 5. Consequence and impact The more people affected by an announcement the bigger the story. That’s why financial results of large, public companies dominate the business pages. They’ve got large numbers of shareholders and others who are affected by the results. 6. Human interest You can make a story more interesting by emphasizing the personal elements of a story. People like to read about and learn from others. Of course, there are other factors that affect the news such as news holes (we PR folks like slow news days when the media are looking for stories to fill their space), the editorial slant of a publication and competition amongst the media (media may be more inclined to cover your story if you offer an ‘exclusive’). Understanding how the media works is valuable information for any organization. It helps minimize the frustration of trying to sell a story that’s not news and you reap the rewards of positive exposure. © 2003 Polaris Public Relations. All rights reserved. Shelley Pringle is principal at Polaris Public Relations, an associates-based PR agency that offers a full suite of communications services. She can be reached at 416.597.1518 or shelley@polarisprinc.com. 
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 Positive media coverage can help your company achieve many business objectives. It can generate awareness, establish credibility and build profile, to name a few. If you need help in developing a media relations plan, just give us a call at 416.597.1518. We’d be pleased to discuss your needs and develop an affordable program for your organization. If you’d like to suggest a topic for a future newsletter, or have a comment on this one, email us at info@polarisprinc.com.
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