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Is my news really newsworthy?

June, 2023

Erica Jones, Account Director at Kent-based PR, marketing and public affairs agency Maxim, considers when something is – and isn't – news.

We’ve all seen the news and at some point commented “I’m not interested in this, it’s not news”, and yet we can all be guilty of both over and under sharing when it comes to our own news.

Get it wrong in person, and your friends might take the mick. Get it wrong in business and you’re the boy who cried wolf.

So what is news?

This is a “how long’s a piece of string” question, because everything is relative: what it is and where you intend to share your story will make a big difference about whether it counts as news.

Organisational news

Maxim recently moved offices. This is big news because we’re in a better location, better offices and have a better drinks machine. All of these things are exciting to us, but they’re not all of interest to everyone.

We’re writing a press release to announce our move, celebrating the location and what it means for the future of the business, especially our accessibility for visiting clients. The press release will be distributed to key business media to ensure our target audience sees our news. Before the move we emailed our news to clients so they have our new address, and we put it on social media (a lot, because you read my last article and know repetition can be good).

We wouldn’t send it to TV or radio, because an office move isn’t that kind of news. But in the right place, for the right audience, it is. Note that in none of this have I mentioned the drinks machine – that’s only news for our social media accounts or in conversation among friends.

That was an example of organisational news, and how it’s relevant within the business community, but what about your new product or service?

Products and services

Again, this is most definitely news: when sent to the right places, in the right way.

If you’ve created a product or service that revolutionises a way of life, it’s likely to be of interest to a wide range of people. If you’ve simply expanded your range to include a new product or brand, it’s still worth talking about, but on a more targeted, business and client level.

Staff

Then there’s the individual news. How do you know what to share about your team? This is probably a whole article in itself, but to help with your decision you need to consider: is their news professional? If it’s a promotion or qualification then it’s probably of interest to the business and/or dedicated trade media.

Is their news personal? If it is and they’re happy to share it, then a fundraiser or volunteering achievement can demonstrate the human side of your organisation to the local media and your client database. However you should also consider when you last shared something similar and how unusual it is: a cake sale raising £50 probably won’t gain much interest; a hundred mile charity hike is more out of the ordinary, especially if a usually suited manager is pictured on location, in casual clothing. (The importance of a good photo for any news cannot be stressed enough.)

What, where, why...

In conclusion, to decide the newsworthiness of your story you need to consider: what are you sharing; where are you sharing it; is it unusual? If in doubt, have a chat with an outsider: do they look interested? If they do, others will be. If they don’t, consider a different angle and try again… If they still don’t look interested, be patient and find a different story for another day.

This article originally appeared in Kent Director.

Erica Jones - Account Director

Erica Jones

Maxim / Account Director

posted in: advice, marketing, media relations,

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