How advocates can make their issue more newsworthy: Tips from a veteran reporter
by: Fernando Quintero
posted on Monday, February 10, 2014
When I was working as a reporter and had to come up with a new take on an annual holiday, it was often a challenge. Any journalist worth his or her salt would try to come up with something other than the usual Thanksgiving Day at a soup kitchen or Veterans Day at a national cemetery.
Holiday stories and headlines are vulnerable to clichés because they’re usually covered year after year, Jacqui Banaszynski, a University of Missouri School of Journalism professor, said in blog post for the American Copy Editors Society.
“Holidays, anniversaries, weather, traffic accidents, graduation, the first day of school, victory and loss at sports. All can fall into the trap of clichéd thinking,” she said.
This challenge for journalists can be turned into an opportunity for public health advocates seeking to get media coverage of their policy goal or a health issue.
It just takes a little creativity.
This month’s observance of Valentine’s Day will mean lots of stories about romance, chocolate and flowers. But the holiday is also a perennial favorite for advocates to link their issue to. For example, the Orange County Community Foundation used Valentine’s Day and its associated heart symbolism as an opportunity to pitch a story about funding a new program at a free clinic called Mi Corazon/Mi Vida (my heart/my life). The program provided services to reduce women’s risk for heart disease.
Environmental advocates once used Valentine’s Day to highlight the use of dangerous pesticides in flower production, including red roses, a holiday favorite. And advocates for marriage equality used the Valentine’s Day to stage a protest in front of San Francisco City Hall, complete with activists donning bridal dresses and tuxedos.
Connecting your story, issue or policy goal to a holiday or seasonal event is a strategy that we at Berkeley Media Studies Group encourage advocates to keep in mind when pitching stories to reporters. Doing so can make your story compelling, timely and meaningful. More important, it can increase the chances of your issue getting news media coverage.
Advocates can include other newsworthy elements in their stories, such as: controversy or conflict; injustice; irony; broad public interest; a local angle or personal story; a breakthrough or milestone; a celebrity; or compelling visuals. The more newsworthy elements there are, the better.
Pitching good stories with a seasonal/holiday link is especially effective because they can help make a journalist’s job easier — always a good way to get your story in the news.
So get ready. Washington’s Birthday is just days away.