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Too often,
PR people try to interest journalists in “news” stories
that aren’t newsworthy. Trying to place a news spin on a
content story is misleading and can result in negative
opinions on you, your company, and your story.
There are
many stories worth telling that aren’t exactly
newsworthy. If you have correctly identified the
journalist and the story is relevant to his/her beat,
giving them a story pitch with a relevant angle can
bring you positive results.
Journalists
are under increasing pressure to bring good content to
the table. The fragmentation of media consumption drives
more competition for good stories – whether they are
news-related or not.
Story ideas
that journalists may appreciate can include a pitch on
an overlooked industry or technology, a compelling case
study, fresh insight into an existing story line, or an
expert’s take on a trend or breaking story.
Some of the
most important things a journalist will look for when
getting a story pitch are relevance to their beat,
“fresh” ideas (not a rehash of something already
published), an opportunity to offer their readers an
exclusive story, and backup information.
So the next
time you get ready to pitch a story to your media
contacts, decide ahead of time if the story is an actual
news story of if it should be pitched as interesting
content. You will find the journalists more receptive to
an honest approach.
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