While the term journalist has become somewhat charged in the last decade, at their core, the best journalists are storytellers. When done correctly, journalism tells the stories that matter to the community they represent and those stories include representation of that community.
That sounds cyclical and maybe it is, but it’s also valuable work. I wouldn’t have earned a Master’s degree and worked in the industry for nearly ten years if I didn’t believe in its value to the community at large.
So where does PR come into play? The role of Bear Icebox PR comes when we try to fit your business into that cycle of community storytelling.
There are really two ways to do this (without paying for media placement): fitting it into the news of the day and becoming the story.
Fitting into the news of the day
News of the day is exactly what it sounds like, it’s the news that is relevant that day. It is the headlines that bring an audience to your website, or gets them to tune into your station.
Taking the ever-evolving debate on immigration. If you tune into CNN, they might be talking to an expert from a non-profit organization in Washington D.C. on how the policies are changing. Maybe you read an article from Fox News, and they spoke with someone on the ground in New York City that is helping to house immigrants who are bussed from Texas or Florida to New York. The article should have a small blurb about that non-profit organization, and maybe even how you can help their cause.
Journalists are always looking for those sources to aid in their storytelling. In reality, they often rely heavily on those sources because officials aren’t the most willing, or the most personable voices.
But you’re not housing immigrants, or working with policies, right? However, you are an expert in your field. And the news of the day changes, for better or for worse.
It might not even be something so serious, or “hard news” as it’s referred to in the journalism industry. The news of the day might be as simple as honoring women on International Women’s Day, and you’re a female CEO in the community.
Fitting into the news of the day is about recognizing an opportunity to use your expertise and showcase your organization in the process, but not being the center of the story.
Becoming the story
Becoming the story is trickier. It relies on timeliness and relevance. We’re not asking you to turn into Night Crawler and create your headlines through crime…no no no. By becoming the story, I mean something newsworthy is happening within your organization that is relevant to a city, to a publication, to an audience.
That is pitchable to a reporter.
Are you launching a new product? Did you find something new through a study? Do you have an event coming up?
Those are things that publications might be interested in covering.
You, individually, as the business owner might also be the story. A hometown or alma mater profile of the work you’re doing can showcase your non-profit. The idea here is that you and/or your organization are the center of the piece.
More often than not, becoming the story is done on a smaller scale, a niche audience, or a local publication.
There is more flexibility in becoming the story, especially when it comes to the story going live. You might have the interview done, the video, podcast, or article might be completely done and ready to go, but news is unpredictable and if anything breaks, your story can get pushed. Not eliminated, just on hold.
Becoming the story, in this sense, is evergreen, and you might do an interview in March for a story that runs in June.
Writing an Op/Ed
There’s a slight combination of these two processes, which is writing an Op/Ed. Op/Eds are usually timely, but your expertise is usually the center of the story, not necessarily your organization, you as an individual, or the news of the day.
An Op/Ed can tie to the news of the day, like the ongoing conversation on ChatGPT AI and you would use your expertise in tech to discuss the pros and/or cons of the situation. But, it can also be an evergreen topic, the key is using your expertise to discuss the topic.
The Op/Ed might also have a blurb about your organization, but usually includes a brief ‘About the Author’ section at the end.
Another key difference is that an Op/Ed isn’t relying on a journalist to tell your story, but rather you or a ghostwriter are putting together the content to be published on a website or in a publication.