Also did an encore version for the Alabama Association of Rehabilitation Facilities Annual Training Conference August 22, 2017 in Huntsville.

1. ARE YOU
NEWSWORTHY?
Lori Miller, WHNT News 19

2. When is it news?
(Because sometimes … it’s not.)
1

4. Interesting
simple, right?
Important
NEWS

5. Events
Fundraising
Need
Service
Engagement
Preference
Utility
Likeability
Exclusivity
Usefulness Urgency
Entertaining Relevance
nonprofitmedia
Do I care?
Does it
serve our
interests?
Are we
relevant
to it?
audience

6. “Event” does not equal “story.”
…interest
…relevance
…impact
…coverage

7. - When it’s of interest to the media’s audience
- When it’s about people (not the event or the announcement)
- When it’s surprising (so you’re having another fundraiser?)
- When it connects the dots
- When it tells a story
- When it’s easy
- When it makes an emotional connection
When is it news?1

8. TYPICAL: We have a new development director
BETTER: Industry only had three women at the top
– with our new hire, there’s four
1 When is it news?

9. TYPICAL: We’ve picked a band for our event
BETTER: Headliner has ties to the cause and our city
1 When is it news?

10. TYPICAL: Our race is next week
BETTER: New race route gives new challenges for
area runners without shutting down
the city
1 When is it news?

11. TYPICAL: We’ve created a new workshop
BETTER: New course finally lets counselors get
mandatory CEUs locally
1 When is it news?

12. TYPICAL: We’re launching an app
BETTER: New app puts the right words in the hands
of teens with suicidal friends--immediately
1 When is it news?

13. Have a clear objective
- “news coverage” is not an objective
Reverse engineer it
- Sell 500 tickets by July 22
Know your target audience
- How do they hear about things?
Identify personal angles (not just suits)
Explain why people should care
Think visual – and consider: the best coverage might be digital
Newsworthy Checklist
1

14. Consider:
178 shares from WHNT.com
19 shares on Facebook
166 people reacted
20,485 people reached

16. How do I pitch it?
(And seriously, what you should avoid.)
2

17. One does not simply
answer an unscreened call

18. SOURCE: http://info.muckrack.com/research, July 2017

19. - Timing is everything
- Write for the reader/viewer/listener
- Keep it tight
- Why, not just what
- Photos, video, quotes – provide content
How do I pitch it?2

20. A news release is not a pitch

21. SOURCE: http://info.muckrack.com/research, July 2017

22. SOURCE: http://info.muckrack.com/research, July 2017

23. Pitch in the morning
- 37 % prefer between 9 and 11am
Personalize your pitches
- Most hate mass distribution lists
Keep it tight
- Use bullets
- Don’t make them open attachments
- Good email headline
Don’t pitch over the phone – unless…
Include the basics and proof your work
Pitch Checklist
2

24. Journalists welcome an appropriate persistence.

25. How do I nurture
relationships?
(Without getting on their nerves.)
3

26. NO SOUP
FOR YOU!

27. News coverage is complex because …too many things to cover
not enough staff
vacations
sick leave
turnover
training
other things going on the “news world”

28. - Get to know the players
- Get to know deadlines and workflow
- Understand the editorial process
How do I nurture it?3

29. SOURCE: http://info.muckrack.com/research, July 2017

30. Know the REAL decision-makers
Consume media
Share socially
Educate the media
Be accessible when there’s bad news
Push back internally on nonsense releases or quotas
Nurture Checklist
3

31. How do I measure
my efforts?
(And have it make sense.)
4

33. “lack of staff/people to do the work” (52%)
“lack of money/budget” (47%)
SOURCE: International Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communication (AMEC), https://amecorg.com/2016/06/nfp-research-shows-comms-measurement-barriers/
Top Barriers to Measuring

34. - Decide what you want to accomplish
- Remember, measurement is a comparative tool
- Don’t confuse activity with results (output vs. outcomes)
- Test and experiment
How do I measure it?4

36. Volume
Message Penetration and Alignment
- Are they in there? Are they right?
Tone: Positive? Negative? Neutral?
Context and Prominence
Location and length of initial mention? # mentions? Photo? Headline or
first paragraph? Other quotes (influence)? Link in online story? Exclusivity?
Spokespeople
Acknowledged as experts? Quoted by name? Key messages in quotes?
Measurement Checklist
4

37. Competition
Share of voice? Topic frequency by competition?
Web and Social
Compare before, during and after – trending? What are people saying?
Measurement Checklist
4

38. To eat an elephant…

39. How do I plan for
media?
(Without creating another full-time job.)
5

41. - Calendar
- Think outcomes
- Think storytelling
- Think preparation (talking points, media training, contact lists, etc)
How do I plan for it?5

43. LORI MILLER
lori.miller@whnt.com
@lorimillerwhnt
linkedin.com/in/blorimiller
flipboard.com/@LoriMillerr1ld
blorimiller.com