If you want to get your stories in front of the media or journalists, you need to understand what motivates them. After all, it’s not just a matter of submitting your media release and hoping for the best.
Journalists are constantly on the clock and have limited time to dig into your pitch. Following these five expert tips can help bring your story to life (AND to the right people’s attention).
Show, don't tell, when setting the scene to your story.
But what does that mean? Few say it better than Chekhov, when he said, “Don’t tell me the moon is shining. Show me the glint of light on broken glass."
“Don’t tell me the moon is shining. Show me the glint of light on broken glass."
Clearly demonstrate how the issue is relevant to their audience/readers and why they should care about the outcome.
To do this, the key rule is to always ensure you keep the journalist's audience front and centre when crafting your story.
"... always ensure you keep the journalist's audience front and centre when crafting your story."
Every story needs a good ‘villain’ to slay. But villains can take any form, eg. housing affordability, bad breath, poor circulation, menopausal symptoms or large corporate entities.
Whatever you do, be sure to demonise your villain to avoid potential sympathy votes from an empathic crowd.
Escalate the seriousness of the issue and the potential impact of not finding a solution to create tension in your story.
This tension can be in the form of an existing conflict or just the anticipation of it. Either way, ensure the tension is able to ebb and flow, rather than trying to maintain an ongoing intensity that readers quickly tire of.
Finally, and most importantly, demonstrate how you can be the knight in shining armour, resolve the issue and ‘save’ the day. (And make sure to answer the questions you've weaved into your story - questions your readers want answered.)
[PRINT DOWNLOAD]: 5 TIPS FOR WRITING 'STORIES' TO GET THE MEDIA'S ATTENTION