Would a feature story about my association qualify
as a legitimate story angle?
Probably not. In most cases, the media has no interest
in helping you promote your association without some real news.
How do I come up with story angles that editor or
producers will buy into?
Put yourself in the readers' shoes and think of stories
that would interest you. This could include an emerging industry
trend, the impact of a recently enacted law or a practical how-to
piece.
How does pitching a generic story angle help my
organization?
Once you interest the editor or writer in a legitimate
story idea, you can suggest a spokesperson from your firm as an
expert source to comment on this issue. Through these types of articles,
you build credibility for your firm and increases the chances that
the editor will use your spokesperson as a source for a future article.
Once the editor buys into my story idea, should I offer to write
the entire article for him/her?
Yes in the case of trade publications, which depend
on contributed articles for much of their content. But daily newspapers
and business magazines usually will assign the story to a reporter
– though for certain topics you could offer to write an opinion-editorial
column.
How effective are news releases in generating publicity?
News releases are excellent vehicles for generating
mass publicity in a cost-effective manner – for topics such as new
products/services, consumer tips, the election of officers, money
raised for a charity, results of industry survey, etc. But to secure
prominent news and feature articles and radio/TV segments, you will,
in many cases, need to call and write editors/producers and suggest
legitimate news angles.
