| Effective Press Relations |
Finger Lakes Media Strategies
Strategic Media Relations
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REPORTERS WILL ALWAYS ASK...
| 159 Snyder Hill Road Ithaca, NY 14850 607-280-3840 info@flmsmedia.com |
Why does my audience need to know about this?
That’s the question reporters ask themselves whenever a news story is
pitched to them. Answer it in a way that shows how all or part of their
audience is impacted by the story, and you stand a much better chance
of getting some news coverage.
When a business or organization does something to help others,
accomplishes a goal, achieves a certification, or reaches some other
milestone, it’s natural to want to market it, and press coverage can and
should be a part of that mix. But, all too often, people approach the media
with the wrong angle to the story. They make themselves and their
business or organization the focus, instead of explaining how the action,
goal, milestone, etc. will impact others.
This approach doesn’t separate them from the hundreds of other similar
story pitches that reporters receive every day. Reporters are looking for
stories that have an impact on a large segment of their audience. To
make your story stand out, your pitch, press release, etc. needs to
demonstrate how all or part of their audience is impacted.
Let’s take a look at a good approach and a bad approach:
Bad Approach:
XYZ Corp. Donation Demonstrates its Public Service Commitment
(Anytown, USA) XYZ Corp. (NYSE: XYZ), announced today that it is
continuing its commitment to local public service, with a $20,000 donation
to the Anytown Food Pantry, the largest donation the Pantry has received
in three years. XYZ Corp. has a long history of charitable contributions to
the Anytown community, and today’s announcement is a milestone for the
100+ employee company, which started with two employees, in the
garage of company founder John Q. Public, 15 years ago…
There’s still some merit in the bad approach…it’s a large donation that
allows the food pantry to help a lot of people. But, it starts out by focusing
entirely on the business, which is a small part of the reporter’s audience. It
‘s also typical of how many businesses and organizations write their press
releases, and won’t stand out to the reporters who read it.
Better Approach:
Donation Will Help Anytown Food Pantry Provide 30,000 Meals to Area’s
Hungry
(Anytown, USA) An estimated 5,000 area families will benefit from a
$20,000 donation to the Anytown Food Pantry, which will use the funds to
provide food for as many as 30,000 meals to them. The donation was
made the XYZ Corp., whose employees chose the Anytown Food Pantry
as their 2009 Charity of Choice, following the October release of the
fourth annual Community Needs Assessment by the Any County
Resources Commission. The Assessment lists hunger and children’s
nutrition as critical concerns in the community.
This approach focuses on the people and organization that will benefit
from the donation, and also explains why the donation is important, in a
larger context. It tells the reporter how a larger segment of his or her
audience will be impacted by the actions of the company, which creates a
more compelling reason for the reporter to tell the story.
It also focuses the most critical information in the most critical part of a
press release… the first paragraph.
Posted on 12/15/09
That’s the question reporters ask themselves whenever a news story is
pitched to them. Answer it in a way that shows how all or part of their
audience is impacted by the story, and you stand a much better chance
of getting some news coverage.
When a business or organization does something to help others,
accomplishes a goal, achieves a certification, or reaches some other
milestone, it’s natural to want to market it, and press coverage can and
should be a part of that mix. But, all too often, people approach the media
with the wrong angle to the story. They make themselves and their
business or organization the focus, instead of explaining how the action,
goal, milestone, etc. will impact others.
This approach doesn’t separate them from the hundreds of other similar
story pitches that reporters receive every day. Reporters are looking for
stories that have an impact on a large segment of their audience. To
make your story stand out, your pitch, press release, etc. needs to
demonstrate how all or part of their audience is impacted.
Let’s take a look at a good approach and a bad approach:
Bad Approach:
XYZ Corp. Donation Demonstrates its Public Service Commitment
(Anytown, USA) XYZ Corp. (NYSE: XYZ), announced today that it is
continuing its commitment to local public service, with a $20,000 donation
to the Anytown Food Pantry, the largest donation the Pantry has received
in three years. XYZ Corp. has a long history of charitable contributions to
the Anytown community, and today’s announcement is a milestone for the
100+ employee company, which started with two employees, in the
garage of company founder John Q. Public, 15 years ago…
There’s still some merit in the bad approach…it’s a large donation that
allows the food pantry to help a lot of people. But, it starts out by focusing
entirely on the business, which is a small part of the reporter’s audience. It
‘s also typical of how many businesses and organizations write their press
releases, and won’t stand out to the reporters who read it.
Better Approach:
Donation Will Help Anytown Food Pantry Provide 30,000 Meals to Area’s
Hungry
(Anytown, USA) An estimated 5,000 area families will benefit from a
$20,000 donation to the Anytown Food Pantry, which will use the funds to
provide food for as many as 30,000 meals to them. The donation was
made the XYZ Corp., whose employees chose the Anytown Food Pantry
as their 2009 Charity of Choice, following the October release of the
fourth annual Community Needs Assessment by the Any County
Resources Commission. The Assessment lists hunger and children’s
nutrition as critical concerns in the community.
This approach focuses on the people and organization that will benefit
from the donation, and also explains why the donation is important, in a
larger context. It tells the reporter how a larger segment of his or her
audience will be impacted by the actions of the company, which creates a
more compelling reason for the reporter to tell the story.
It also focuses the most critical information in the most critical part of a
press release… the first paragraph.
Posted on 12/15/09
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There's a lot of myths about writing
press releases. What makes an
effective one? Find out...
Return to The Insider
FLMS offers press relations
seminars and workshops. Visit our
Services page to learn more.
Return to The Insider
Find out more about the FLMS
Proactive Approach to press
relations. Visit our About Us page.
Return to The Insider
Thought Leadership shapes the
conversation and frames the
debate in a Crisis Control situation.
Return to The Insider
Less is more in a news interview.
Contact Us for a consultation if you
have an important one coming up.
press releases. What makes an
effective one? Find out...
Return to The Insider
FLMS offers press relations
seminars and workshops. Visit our
Services page to learn more.
Return to The Insider
Find out more about the FLMS
Proactive Approach to press
relations. Visit our About Us page.
Return to The Insider
Thought Leadership shapes the
conversation and frames the
debate in a Crisis Control situation.
Return to The Insider
Less is more in a news interview.
Contact Us for a consultation if you
have an important one coming up.
