In simple words News is newly received or noteworthy information, especially about recent or important events. It can further be defined as the communication of selected information on current events, which is presented by the medium of print, broadcast, Internet, or word of mouth to a third-party or mass audience. In this write-up, we will be focusing on several components of news or what makes news read worthy.
First and foremost, to get the attention of the readers the News story should be current, timely, and fresh. It can either be an event that is currently happening or the one that recently took place but the audience has not yet heard about it or has not seen it before.
Further, the News should always or at least most of the times connect with the people. This is very important as today’s busy working population does not take much interest in events that do not connect with them or those which would not have either direct or indirect impact on their lives. Even if you are campaigning for an international product or event, find a local angle to the news, such as the potential impact on a local community. Human interest angle is another important aspect of News. Try to put a human face on your story by giving examples or mentioning case studies on impact of your product or service on the community.
Sometimes, a story with a hard-fought conflict makes news. For example, a legal battle wherein your company has won against a stronger opponent, a political leader, competitor or even regulatory authorities, it is good News to share with the reporters. Also, it is said that any publicity is a good publicity. Thus, sometimes controversy that involves your company can also create News. However, ones such kind of news appears in media, it is the responsibility of a PR person to manage the reputation of the company by efficiently communicating legitimate information to the public. This is called crisis management.
Also, one can bring out a story in the market when there is a possibility of it making higher impact on the population. One needs to check if the story can be linked to an upcoming holiday or season. For example, if your company is launching a home decor product, you can time a product launch press release at times when a festival is approaching. Visuals & quotes from the key management personnel are also very important for seeking attention of the News reader. Images form other important component of News.
Thus, conclusively, one can say that the few of the above listed components help making News worthy of getting attention from the readers. These are however few of the important components of News, but there are other details as well that a PR person must focus upon depending on the target market he wishes to address and the chosen media for the purpose.
