Story Ideas The Media Will Love

• Locations and launches. A new branch of your organisation may have just opened, and you want to make people aware of the new location and offerings. You may be launching a new product/service or event.
  
  
• Involvement of prominent people. If you have hired an individual well-known to the local or business community, or are involved in a joint event or spokesperson arrangement with a high profile person it will often be of interest to the media.
  
  
• Human or business interest. Sometimes newsworthy information is a little less obvious. Perhaps your product/service or changes taking place in your business are unique, unusual or new to the industry. For instance, how and why the business has been set up or changed may become a story in itself. The key people responsible for your businesses success may also have an interesting background story, or your business may have achieved great things in trying or difficult circumstances. Sometimes these stories are called "case studies" or “profiles” and typically are given favourable consideration by media because of their considerable human interest appeal.
  
  
• Organisational announcements. Notable changes in staff, spokespersons or volunteers are another way of getting media exposure. The more important the position, the more newsworthy organisational announcements become.
  
  
• Partnerships, Deals, Acquisitions and Mergers. Business dealings that are international, involve a high profile organisation, a lot of money, or create far-reaching effects across the industry create a major news story.
  
  
• Industry recognition. When your organisation wins an award or is recognised by peers, let the world know!
  
  
• Community Involvement. If your organisation is making a considerable difference to a community group or individual through donation or other support, let the media know. Community support stories involving interesting tangible items (as opposed to cash donations) are often popular because they create good visual opportunities for photographs. For example, if you are a home builder, why not donate a small replica of one of your houses to the local hospital's playground, rather than a cash contribution. If you are donating cash, then think a photo opportunity that illustrates the way in which your money will assist the organisation you are supporting.

• Creating an event. Clever promotions (and they need only be small) can draw media coverage because they are unusual, involve prominent people or are just plain interesting or fun. For example, you could hold a community fun day in conjunction with an announcement, allow young local artists to tastefully graffiti the side of your office building in a corporate design or have your senior management team play against the local highschool football team to celebrate your donation to the school's sport club.
  
  
• Commenting on Industry developments or trends. It is essential to keep abreast of the news being printed or broadcast about your competition and your industry as a whole. A comprehensive public and media relations program must involve staying informed about industry trends, and looking for opportunities to offer comment. Events that offer this kind of opportunity include: public reprisals that involve your industry, and new laws, standards or requirements that affect your business and/or customers. You only want to comment if you know that your customers and stakeholder will agree with what you are saying, otherwise there is no benefit.
  
  
• Research - Numerical data and trends. The media and society is fascinated with numbers. The more impressive or interesting the figures (relative to competitors and the rest of the industry), the more likely media outlets are to use those numbers in their reporting.
  
  
• Sponsorship and community support. Responding to community and world events in unique and generous ways can draw positive attention to your organisation.
  
  
• Localise an issue - either a national or international issue.
  
  
• Free advice. If there’s a hot story in the news and you can provide tips or free advice that will help readers/listeners/viewers, offer yourself as an expert source.
  
  
• Creating photo opportunities. This applies to general news section in newspapers. As the name suggests, picture stories are those articles in the newspaper that revolve mainly around the image. The text is often limited (sometimes it can be only one line beneath the picture) and the picture is usually large and in colour. Picture stories are suitable for events and announcements that are weaker in their news value or are light-hearted in nature. For example, if your restaurant is donating pancakes to the local homeless shelter, why not make them giant pancakes and mix the batter in giant pots. The media love great visuals so think about what you can do to create them.
  
  So what do print media look for in a picture? Here’s just a few of their favourites: Children, animals, colour, glamour, fun, unusual visual opportunities, young, attractive people, celebrities, high profile people in silly situations (that is, planned and tasteful situations, not random and unsolicited paparazzi-style shots!).