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: Wallack, Dorfman, Jerniagan, and Themba (see Resources) suggest ten kinds of news "angles", or approaches, to a news event that catch a journalist's eye: An anniversary story: Can this story be associated with a local, national, or topical or historical event? A good example of this would be marking the 50th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with a story of how nuclear waste has affected the ground water in Alamogordo, New Mexico, where the United States government tested its first atomic bomb. The anniversary in question might be one connected to your organization as well. It’s an important milestone when a community-based organization survives for five or ten years, or even more. A breakthrough: What is new or different about this story? One example would be a story on the isolation of a dangerous virus or a new treatment for a disease or birth defect. A celebrity-supported story or event: