Understanding Community News
Understanding how the media works, what makes news and how to make the news can be valuable knowledge for any organization or business.
Here are some inside tips on the dos and don’ts when it comes to gaining media attention.
What makes news?
It has been said that news is what people are talking about. A nice simplification, but if you want a reporter to be interested in your story, you need to meet one of the following criteria.
Timeliness:
Nothing beats breaking news. Such news stories often command front-page attention at newspapers and lead air time at radio and TV stations. Breaking news is immediate news about something that just happened and that matters to a defined audience, like the local community. This has to be news that people will talk about.
Proximity:
Most media are first and foremost interested in stories with a local angle. Your local paper will be interested in something happening in your immediate area, not in Vaughan or Whitby.
Conflict:
Like it or not, conflict, whether it involves people, companies or government, makes news. And don’t be fooled by those who say they don’t read negative stories – they do and news editors know it.
Eminence and Prominence:
Some people are newsworthy simply because of their fame or their position of power. Thousands of Canadians buy cars every month and no one cares. But if Mayor David Miller buys the latest Ferrari, then the press will write about it.
Consequence and Impact:
What may be a simple business decision to you may be of tremendous consequence to your neighbour. The more people affected, the bigger the story.
Human Interest:
People are interested in people. It’s a fact and a strong element of news. Those who read, listen and watch the news like to learn about others.
Other factors affecting what becomes “news”...
“News Holes”
Why is it that your neighbour’s fundraiser made the news last week but yours didn’t? Sometimes, space limitations (a busier news day and more stories) will result in your event being dropped from the paper.
“Focus of the medium”
The monthly e-commerce magazine has a different editorial mandate than the local community newspaper or the local TV station. Understanding what mandate each medium has is key to working effectively with the media.
Competition among media
No one wants to cover old news. An editor or reporter is far less likely to write about your business if the competition had the same story a week earlier. On the other hand, they may run your news story if you approach them with an “exclusive” and give them the chance to cover the story before anyone else gets it.
