Garnering press for a client or event often proves to be a challenging task for many public relations professionals especially when the client or event is new or relatively unknown amongst the community. While you may think your news release is worthy of a breaking news report or front page headline, those at the news desk may view it as one in the hundreds of news releases received daily and headed for the recycle bin.
When covering an event, journalists use seven basic news elements to angle their stories into newsworthy articles. Therefore, keep these elements in mind when penning a news release and the media will be sure to take notice!
Proximity: This refers to the location of the event. Events booked in Louisville are more likely to gain local media coverage than if they are located in Indianapolis, IN or Cincinnati, OH.
Prominence: This refers to how well known your client or those involved in your event are to the public. Do you have a famous guest speaker attending your event or a well-known sponsor? Publicize their participation in your event in order to make your release newsworthy.
Timeliness: You will need to send your news release out in a timely manner in order to gain the media’s attention and coverage. Sending your release out too early may lead to the media overlooking your event, while sending it out too late could prove problematic as well as the media may have filled all space with other events and news. And remember that monthly or weekly publications have longer lead times than daily media.
Oddity: Unusual and unique events make news. If your event has a strange angle to it, publicize it in your news release. The public is always intrigued by the odd.
Consequence: Events having major and/or direct impacts on the media’s audience often are considered newsworthy.
Conflict: Arguments, fights, rivalries, wars all make newsworthy items. Hopefully your event will not fit into this category!
Human Interest: News invoking the emotions of the reader is often the most popular coverage with the public. By angling your release to appeal to the emotions of readers, your event takes on a newsworthy element.
Feel free to take multiple angles with your news release. Angling a release with more than one news element can only help your efforts in getting media coverage for your event!
Source: www.geocities.com/Athens/Aegean/6763
Friday, January 16, 2009
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