Knowing What to Do When Your Story Gets Bumped
Written by PR Etc., Inc.
Published by Rockford Register Star
Monday, February 7, 2005

Unfortunate and breaking stories happen every day. From celebrity deaths to the verdict of a high profile criminal or civil case to unfortunate Tsunami waves, all these stories can, and usually do, cause your company’s story to be bumped. In some cases it can cause your story to be bumped to a back page of a daily paper or into oblivion never to see daylight again.

While there’s not much you can initially do to change the situation, there are some actions you can take to help ensure you still gain coverage for your organization.

• Monitor the media. Be aware of the current news. Is there a major criminal trial in jury deliberations that could break the news at any time? Obviously, most breaking news is not expected, but you can control as much of your environment as possible by noting the possibilities of what could go wrong.
• Garner media coverage in advance. Not all of your coverage has to hit on the day of a news conference or when the press release is issued. Work with key media on preview stories that can come out in advance.
• Develop a plan “B”. When another news story breaks on “your” day, be prepared with fresh story angles and ideas to make your announcement.