How to make the news
Americans are spending more time consuming media than ever before. Modern Americans spend over 12 hours a day consuming major media formats, which includes television, newspapers, magazines, radio, and digital platforms.
With so much other media to compete with, how can you break through the noise?
Here are a few questions to keep in mind when considering how to share your story with the media.
Is it timely?
You’ll be working with journalists in a fast-paced news cycle rife with quick deadlines, who may not be able to deeply explore nuanced topics. And sometimes, no matter how compelling a story is, something unexpected will derail media coverage and leave no space for other stories. However, you can also use the news cycle to your advantage.
For example, each year experts from the Center for Transportation Studies (CTS) share information on deer-vehicle collisions. Given that deer collisions rise sharply after daylight saving time, members of the University Relations PR team and CTS work to publish a Talking… with U of M press release and pitch to local media a week prior to daylight saving time. This year, it led to original reporting by WJON and MinnPost as well as reprints in Greater Minnesota newspapers.
What’s the impact?
With every pitch, you must answer the question: “Why should people care?” This isn’t always a simple task—figuring out how to express the everyday value of a complex or difficult-to-understand topic can be challenging. But, it’s a challenge that can offer powerful results.
One recent example comes from research done by Kate Adamala at the College of Biological Sciences on mirror cells. Mirror cells do not exist yet, though researchers believe they will be possible to create in the near future. Research by Adamala and her peers determined that the potentially catastrophic risks of mirror cells outweigh the benefits, leading them to discontinue their research and take the unprecedented step for international prohibitions on further research. Despite the high-level biology that goes into mirror cell research, pitches focused on the potential for disastrous health and environmental outcomes from this research. Original stories were written by The New York Times and The Guardian based on the pitches.
Is there potential for local or regional interest?
Knowing what journalists are interested in is key to creating a successful pitch. There are many ways to gather this information: you can keep up with general news trends, look into story archives, or get in contact with journalists directly to ask for the type of stories they’re interested in. It can also pay dividends to stay looped into conversations happening in the community.
Recently, research from the College of Science and Engineering found that insecticides were present in groundwater in the state. A Research Brief and pitch identified sources of the chemicals we see in our everyday lives, and emphasized the potential effect the chemicals could have on the region. Through focusing on the research’s local impact, they prompted a story written by MPR News.
Whatever stage you’re at in your plans to share your story with the media, the University Relations Public Relations team is happy to help. Get in touch with us at unews@umn.edu, and we’d love to chat about ways to amplify your work.