Author: Will Anderson

It’s 500 years since Copernicus proved we are not the centre of the universe, but in many organisations the message still hasn’t got through. Especially when it comes to expectations about media coverage.

I’ve spent many years in senior communications roles, helping organisations to boost their chances of attracting media interest. What I tell them is that the first requirement – always – is to face up squarely to two hard truths.

Number one: from the perspective of an average news desk, especially at bigger media outlets, your organisation and story are dots on a radar screen. Not so much the centre of the cosmos, as a tiny planet in one galaxy in a limitless universe of stories. A senior journalist I know tells me he is sent around 150 news releases a day. Every day. Most don’t even get read. Only 1-2% will result in any kind of media coverage.

Number two: the media are under no obligation whatsoever to run your story. Quite right too, if you believe in freedom of the press.

So far, so demoralising. You’d be forgiven for thinking it was hardly worth bothering trying to get media interest at all. Wrong. Organisations can and do attract coverage. I know because I’ve helped them get it, everywhere from the BBC to the New York Times.

Don’t think though that I’m blessed with magical powers. Never believe any communications person who claims they can guarantee to get your story in the media. If you want guaranteed coverage, buy advertising space.

So what should you do if you want to get press interest? Here’s my advice. Once you’ve cast aside any delusions and faced up to the two hard truths, focus on how to give yourself the best possible chance. These are my handy tips to help you:

1. Listen carefully to the advice from your media experts
Whether they’re an agency or in-house, remember that you have them for a reason, which is that they understand the world of the media better than you do.

2. Ask yourself: why should anyone care about my story?
You will think your story is great or fascinating or newsworthy. But that alone isn’t enough. You have to see it from outside: why should other people care about it?

The fundamental questions in any journalist’s mind will always be: will my audience care about this? Would they find this story interesting?

3. Know what journalists like
They like the new. The unexpected too: “dog bites man” is not nearly as newsworthy as “man bites dog”. Timeliness always helps: does your story relate to something already in the news? Ditch the vapid marketing puff (“world-leading”) and use examples and specific, concrete detail. Use superlatives and numbers where you can: the biggest, oldest, fastest; a 50% increase, ten times louder, an eight-metre-long rattlesnake.

4. Offer the ingredients media need – people and pictures, not just press releases.
This is crucial, and where so many organisations go wrong. You can’t make a cake without ingredients. The same goes for a news story.

Journalists need people to talk to: a press release makes a very dull interviewee. This is obviously true of radio and TV, but print and online media too often want to speak to someone.

Visuals are vital. Forget TV interest if you can’t offer good filming locations. Print and online will want striking high-resolution images, plus – increasingly – punchy and short video clips or graphics.

5. Have interviewees available – in practice not just in theory – and fast
Despite it all, your heroic media team manage to get media interest – hooray! But the opportunity goes begging because the journalist wants an interviewee and no-one is available, either at all or quickly enough. I’ve seen this depressingly often. If it has to be the chief exec doing interviews – and it usually doesn’t – don’t put the story out if she can’t deal with interview requests instantly. The most important ability is availability.

6. Relationships, not just releases: get to know your key media targets
Relationships are key for success: a mantra most organisations will readily endorse. Except it usually gets forgotten when it comes to the media. Identify the five most important outlets and journalists for your organisation. Then start building a relationship with them, not just sending them releases.

In time they might start coming to you for briefing or comment on a story in your field which they’re already covering. Or they might need material for a feature. There are all manner of opportunities like this for profile and coverage. But if all you ever do is send releases, rather than cultivate a relationship, those opportunities will never come your way.

It’s tough to get media interest, but it can be done. Good luck!