Title: Chapter 34. Media Advocacy | Section 3. Creating News Stories the Media Wants | Main Section | Community Tool Box
Headings: Section 3. Creating News Stories the Media Wants
Section 3. Creating News Stories the Media Wants
What is a news story?
What are the benefits of using TV, newspaper, and radio stories?
Providing newsworthy stories
How do I present my story idea?
Choosing good media opportunities
What is a news story?
What are the benefits of using television, newspaper, and radio stories to spread your message?
Providing "newsworthy" stories
Choosing good media opportunities
Some guidelines for contacting the media
Do not call a reporter to pitch a story idea unless you are ready to provide everything she needs to write the story
Target reporters who will be interested in your news
Recognize that you will be interrupting someone who is busy working
Become a “go to” organization for the media
Continue to work to maintain your relationships and credibility with the media, and continue to pitch stories to them
Online Resources
Print Resources

Content: Placing news stories can be the cheapest and most effective means of getting your message to the public, and, through them, to policy makers and funders. This section provides some guidelines both for recognizing or creating news stories related to your work that appeal to the media and the public, and for persuading the media to publish or broadcast those stories. What is a news story? A news story is a written or recorded (or, occasionally, live) article or interview that informs the public about current events, concerns, or ideas. You don't usually write the story – though sometimes local media will use exactly what words you give them – but you provide story ideas to journalists who then flesh out your idea to create the story as it appears. A news story can be: Long or short, depending on its newsworthiness (we’ll discuss this more later) or interest to people who watch TV, listen to the radio, or read the paper. Written, recorded, live, or taped, depending on the medium you use and the timeliness of the story
Hard - full of important facts and news items, or soft - focusing on the personal, more human side of a news event or situation. An example of a hard news story is an article on the alarming rise of HIV cases in heterosexual women. A soft news, or feature, article would be a story about a man in a wheelchair overcoming architectural barriers in town as he moves through his day.