Spring 2015 3700 What Is News?

#ouj3700

What is news?

Memo feedback

• Good tone for the most part.

• Context if your friend.

• Ditch has and have. Have learned is passive. Learned is active.

• Remember what’s next and when. Use dates when possible.

What is news in one word?

Why is getting coverage tougher now than ten years ago?

• Gatekeepers

• Shrinking news hole

• Fragmented mass media

• Information overload

WHAT CAN MAKE NEWS: 2310 recap eight themes

• Timeliness.

• Prominence.

• Proximity. Local local local

• Geography. Area of interest….

WHAT CAN MAKE NEWS: 2310 recap eight themes

• Significance.

• Unusualness.

• Human interest.

• Conflict

• Newness. • New products or new uses for old

products draw attention

THERE ARE TWO WAYS NEWS HAPPENS

• FIND IT:

• CREATE IT: Yes you can do this and be ethical.

HOW TO FIND NEWS:read INTERNAL NEWS SOURCES

• Internal business documents

• White papers• Annual reports• Deep dive the website

• Employee newsletters/magazines

• Ask questions. You’re the new kid, and old people like it when new kids ask questions.

HOW TO FIND NEWS:six EXTERNAL NEWS SOURCES

• Read, listen to, and watch the news. Link news events to your organization.

• Polls and surveys.

• Trade publications. Can you take a small idea and make it larger?

• If you can’t follow current events, you can’t survive in PR for very long.

HOW TO FIND NEWS:six EXTERNAL NEWS SOURCES

• Blogs. See trade publications.

• Social media, especially Twitter.

• See what other people in the field are doing. Emulate and improve when possible.

• If you can’t follow current events, you can’t survive in PR for very long.

HOW DO YOU CREATE NEWS?

• Pseudo-events: • If you follow news values, it’s not

Milli Vanilli.

• If you don’t, you lose credibility.

• Credibility is all we have in PR.

• Don’t be dumb.

Nine pseudo-events for the toolbox

• Special events

• Ribbon cuttings, product releases, milestones

• Contests

• Polls and surveys

• Top 10 lists

Nine pseudo-events for the toolbox

• Product demonstrations

• Stunts: World’s largest, Guinness Record-breaking

• Rallies and protests

• Personal appearances

• Awards

What isn’t news?

• Sales.

• Think about larger consumer value.

• Connect the dots.

What isn’t news?

• Nobody cares about your new Vegan Burger.

• Reporters do care when there is a growing percentage of people seeking healthier protein options and how restaurants are trying to meet those needs.