Want To Get Some Media Attention? Well, Here's How!

We rely on news websites and the antiquated concept of newspapers to get our daily dose of current events. Everyday we take in the things that journalists deem appropriate or “news worthy” without questioning their decision.

As a PR practitioner or as any person vying for some media attention, there is a list of elements that your story should have in order to get the limelight. I crosschecked my list with the top news websites and found that there was indeed a trend being followed. So here are some things that would get you some news value!

Prominence – It’s all about who’s who

Proximity – How close are we to the incident

Impact – How much does it affect us?

Timeliness – No one likes stale news

Conflict – We all love a good fight

Human Interest – If it can reach out to your emotions

As PR professionals, we HAVE to collaborate with not just one but many media outlets. Public relations and journalism go hand in hand. And contrary to popular belief, PR professionals can have good relationships with journalists. As much as I hate to admit it, we need them as much as they need us!

So here are a few tips to keep in mind when you deal with them:

• When you approach journalists to run your story, check if it has an element that would make it newsworthy.
• Always take time to draft individual mails to journalists instead of just sending out a single email to a bunch of them.
• Give them clear-cut facts. As much as you would like to decorate your writing with quips and anecdotes, refrain from doing so.
• Never question them on the way they choose to say your story. As long as the facts are accurate, let them say what they want how they want.

Always remember that to be in the news, you must have something that make journalists want to cover your story. Make things more interesting and news worthy, and you will have all the attention you need.

So, what according to you should one do to get good media coverage?