When pitching your story to the press, there is somethingimportant to keep in mind:  if you want to get the attention of thepress, you have to think like the press.



 

In the 20+ years I've been in public relations, one of themost difficult elements of the game to teach clients is that the press is not aservice organization whose sole purpose is to cover what PR people pitch them.Their business model is simple; they exist to inform and entertain theirreaders, so they can grow their subscriber base and sell advertising againstthose numbers.

 

So, if you want to participate in the ?press game? it isvital to recognize what wins the press loyal readers and increases theircirculation?and then help them to do it! Step one is to get together a power-packed pitch.  According to the Associated Press Stylebookthe preferred term for a press release is not press release; it's NEWSrelease.  After all, it's not called apress-paper ? it's called a NEWSpaper. Like it or not, publicrelations people don't get to determine what the news is. Only newsprofessionals get to do that when they choose what to write, print or air.

 

So, just because your company opened a new store in Cincinnati, doesn't makeit NEWS. However, there may very well be a nugget of newsworthiness that youcan offer up to the press in order to get them interested in the opening ofyour store.

 

Where do you find those nuggets? Here are a few suggestionsto help you mine the news gold in all your announcements:

 

Read Your LocalNewspapers ?You can't find a news hook until you know what the news of theday actually is.  And, because it changesevery day, you need to stay on top of the news (or hire an agency to performthat function for you, and trust their judgment when they advise you ofpotential news hooks).

 

Determine How YourStory is Relevant ? This is the lowest hanging fruit in the news hookorchard. Look for anything in your business that is relevant to news taking placein your community or nationally. If you're opening a new bicycle shop in Los Angeles, then do somenews searches to see what reporters have been writing about the area.

 

Say you discover that the area is economically depressed, in which case you can pitch to the press the ideathat a new retailer opening there is a boost to the local economy, and that you're willing to take a chance onsuccess in that community. Or you may discover that bicycle ridership hasincreased nationally by 10 percent over the previous year,with new riders indicating they have started because they are trying to getfit. Now you can pitch the local press on the angle that your new shop is aimedat capitalizing on this national trend.

 

This strategy is known as ?localizing? a national story, which every newspaper and TV producer loves.Because it's a national story, theyare going to report it anyway, butthey'd prefer to have a local hook so they can be more relevant to the localaudience.

 

Develop Stories ThatHave a Beginning, Middle and End ? Make sure you tell reporters a fullstory. Let's use the bicycle shop as an example. Opening a bicycle shop may notbe much of a story on its own, butwhat's the story behind the story? Did the owners overcome any unusualobstacles in fulfilling the dream of opening their store? Was the owner ever acompetitive bicyclist? Have the owners used their knowledge of the sport orinventory to help any children's charities or causes? Are they active in theircommunity? Identify the story behind the story,and you'll have plenty of opportunities to find a news hook that's relevant.

 

Take Action ?There is a reason why so many commercial enterprises and not-for-profitcharities and community organizations partner up for special events ? it's awin-win situation for everyone. It's important for every commercial enterpriseto be a good citizen and use some of their resources to help others, and italso helps to make sometimes un-newsworthy events relevant. Opening a bicycleshop isn't a big deal, but holding a grand opening event for a local children?scharity makes the opening more relevant. If the owners use the event to helpraise money and donate excess inventory to needy children, it is both a worthyventure and a genuinely heartwarming feel-good story worthy of news coverage.

 

Helping people should be its own reward, of course, butthat's also why newspapers and charities love these events. It not only giveseditors and TV crews something joyful and happy to report, but it also enablesthe charities to get their messages out to the community at large. Yourbusiness improves its public image, and deservedly so, as long as the help isgenuine and comes not from the pocketbook, but from the heart.

 

At the end of the day, most of the time you can find newshooks in even the most mundane of news releases.  The key thing to remember is that the focusof the release isn't to sell, sell, sell ? it's to convince a reporter that youhave news to report and that their readers would be informed or entertained bywhat you have to tell them.

 

Think like the journalist,help them do their job, and you?llfind that your enterprise will generate more press coverage as a result.