Generating Story Angles When There’s Nothing “New” to Talk About
Written by PR Etc., Inc.
Published by Rockford Register Star
Monday, July 16, 2007

Organizations regularly feel that the only time they have “news” and pitch a story to the media is when they issue a press release or hold a news conference. Then they wait until the next big event or product announcement to talk to the media again about coverage.

But every company has considerable news – the trick is generating new story angles when there’s nothing “new” to talk about. To help generate story ideas for your organization, here are some tips:

• “Interview” individuals within your organization. Find out what they are working on, ask about obstacles or benefits to current or future projects (e.g. is the industry you are in slowing the process? Are new trends forcing a change to how you do business?).
• Watch, listen and read the daily news. Determine if anything going on around you is affecting your company, employees, products or services. Media regularly seek news stories out how big local, regional or national stories are affecting businesses or non-profits in our own community.
• Provide an update on your products or services. If it’s been three or six months since your organization launched something new, provide the media “news” angles on updates on how it’s affected individuals' lives, the industry or the community at large. However, be cautious that your pitch is not viewed as a pure product placement or “advertising” – you’ll need to prove its newsworthiness.

Taking these initial steps should provide you with some ideas so that you’ll never be without a story angle again.