In a recent blog we talked about what makes a good broadcast PR news story and the factors you need to make one. News is by definition something new or a new twist on an old story – but to give your story that extra edge there are a number of things you can do.
Take our fun quiz below to find out: “Is your broadcast PR story newsworthy?”
1. Is your story new?
A) It’s been around a while
B) It has an element or angle that is new
2. Would you tell your story to your mates at the pub?
A) No they would not find this story interesting at all
B) I’ve told my mates already!!
3. What sort of facts and figures are there in your story to write a cue from?
A) Facts and figures are boring – no one wants to hear those
B) There are a few figures we have or can pull out from research
4. Can you sum up your broadcast PR story in a sentence…G0!
A) Not possible – it’s a complex story
B) Sure. My elevator pitch is….
5. Thinking about where your broadcast PR story is based – is it regional or international or particular to certain place?
A) The story could appeal to everyone so I’m going to punt it to regional, national…. everyone and anyone!
B) It is a national story but the research found a particular location or group affected so I plan to get in touch with that area in my media relations calls.
6. Who is your spokesperson for the story?
A) It is the brand spokesperson – they love being in the media and will do a good interview
B) We are mindful of not making it too commercial and have a third party spokesperson
Mainly A’s – It doesn’t seem like you’ve got a newsworthy story on your desk. You may want to find or get some research conducted to give you some figures and statistics that could offer an interesting peg to broadcasters. Try to look at the story from a different angle or viewpoint to see if you can find a new top line. Knowing your story and being able to articulate it in just a sentence or a few sentences is key for media relations. Who, What, When, Where and Why? are the key elements you need to cover off quickly to grab someone’s attention. Finally, if your story has a location that it’s relevant too – make the most of it. Use your selling in time to contact media in that specific location as they will be most interested in your story if it’s in their patch.
Mainly Bs – You definitely have a newsworthy story on your hands if it is compelling and well thought out, the sort of story people will genuinely want to talk about. Having a third party spokesperson will really help you secure coverage. Now make the most of it! It’s a good story so you should be able to secure broadcast coverage across regional or national outlets particularly if you have good regional breakdown. Think too about the significance of the story and how it affects the audience – this will help you tailor it even better. Stories work best if there are a large number of people who are affected by the story?
Have you thought about hosting a radio day to increase your coverage? Shout! have held many successful radio days at our studio in Covent Garden.
The Shout! team is mainly made up of ex-journalists who can offer advise on how to make your story more newsworthy – give us a call on 020 7240 7373 for a chat.
