As a leader of a nonprofit, you are surrounded by examples of the importance and impact of your mission every day. The longer you are entrenched in an organization, the more normalized your work becomes. This can make it difficult to identify stories that are unique or appealing to media. However, extracting these gems can be extremely beneficial to your organization from a public relations perspective. Here are a few tips to keep in mind so you can spot newsworthy stories for potential media interest:
How the Media Think
When presented with a story idea, the media will first ask themselves “So What?” They want to make sure the story is valuable to their readers, viewers, or listeners. Good stories will have good answers to this question. For example, “A profile about this student demonstrates the current state of our educational system, and how our organization is working to improve it,” or “This new initiative will change the frequency of prison recidivism in Massachusetts.”
They will also consider whether or not it has been covered. As a nonprofit leader, it’s a good idea to have a general grasp on the recent media around the issues that you work with, so you know what is trending. If your topic has already been covered, make sure you have a unique angle. Keeping an eye on breaking news will also help you know when to step into the conversation as an expert source.
Finding your story
Here are a few ideas to get you thinking about potential story ideas for your organization:
- Unique programming or technology
- Responding to a community or national issue
- Employees and volunteers who go above and beyond to ensure clients achieve goals
- Participant success stories
- Fundraisers, milestones, and celebrations
- New studies
- Grants and awards
- Corporate and community partnerships
- Staff and board member profiles
Story Idea Check List
With all of this in mind, once you have a story in mind, consider if the story is personal, relatable, surprising, relevant, or timely. While they may not be interested in hearing about a program that has been around for years, an interesting story about a recent local beneficiary of the program might spark their interest.
Expectations
Finally, keep in mind that the people featured in the story must be willing to be interviewed, be photographed or filmed, and share some personal information with reporters, including their name, age, and at times where they live. Don’t invest time in a story about a participant that is not willing to be a media subject!
Keeping these tips in the back of your mind can help you single out good media opportunities, and raise the profile of your organization.
