 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Home > Learning > Tips from the Trenches > Distributing Stories to the Media tips from the trenches - distributing stories to the mediaA recent workshop participant asked me the following question: How do I know when I can give a story idea to one journalist I think might be particularly interested, and when I have an obligation to distribute the information equally to all media organizations?A good question, and the answer falls somewhere under the heading of 'experience and judgment'. The rule of thumb I've always used to draw this sometimes thin line is to differentiate between the definition of the story topic: Is it news, or feature, material? News Distribution If it is news, I make sure that all media received the information not necessarily at the same time, but within the time period necessary for them all to have a chance to publish or run the story at close to the same time. If it's truly "news", then your organization has an obligation to make sure all media outlets have an equal chance to cover the story, and an obligation to your stakeholder group to ensure the widest possible coverage. So, since our newspaper publishes in the morning, I would not send out an announcement at 4:30 p.m. (if I have a choice) because it would give all the tv and radio an unfair advantage in publishing the story on their 5, 6 or 10 and 11 p.m. broadcasts. If I sent it out later, then all would have the chance to publish first thing in the morning. The newspaper in particular really appreciates this kind of planning. Of course, if it's a 'crisis' situation, you don't necessarily have that control, but those situations are not the most common you'll run across. Feature Distribution If the story is a feature, on the other hand, I would definitely cultivate the reporter (or freelancer!) most likely to be interested in developing the story. Features are not as compelling to the journalist as news, because they have "shelf life" (i.e. can be done almost any day as opposed to THIS day), and are more distinct to the writer; they have more leeway in format, style, etc. and therefore are not mass reproducible. If you get a major feature in the newspaper, it probably doesn't matter that radio and tv didn't do it (and they typically won't...because they don't have the "space" (i.e. time) that a newspaper or magazine writer may have for a lengthy feature) and/or they don't want to do the same approach as one already published. To ensure a good feature idea gets play, show it first to the most likely suspect--a reporter you now already has an interest in the subject, or has followed the story in the past. I've known other news organizations to cover the same feature, but use a different angle. That's why knowing your story really well before you develop your pitch strategy is such a good idea. You might be able to pitch different angles to different reporters with different interests. More on this kind of media relations strategic planning is available in the Paschall & Associates workshop "Basics of Media Relations". Bonus Tip: Coming up with Feature Story Ideas How do you find good feature story ideas within your organization? One way might be to read what the journalists read to get their story ideas...Editor's Service has been serving the media industry for 50 years, and now has an electronic service that for $2.50 US/week provides timely news and feature story ideas that can be local- or regionalized. |
|