Transcript Creating News Features and Op-Ed

Creating News
Features and Op-Ed
Chapter 7
Value of News Features
 Regular news releases usually
emphasize the timely disclosure of basic
information about situations and events
 In contrast, features stories can provide
additional background information,
generate human interest, and create
understanding in a more imaginative way
New President Example
 A new company president is appointed
 The news release would give the basic
information in a few paragraphs—name, brief
summary of professional career– all pretty dry
stuff
 A feature could give the new president more of
a human dimension
 Could focus on management philosophy,
college experiences, hobbies, interests, and
vision of the future
 Such an article could run 1,500 words instead
of 250
“Soft” Versus “Hard” News
 Features are considered “’soft” rather than
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“hard” news
Less time-sensitive
They entertain, provide background, and give
consumer tips
They often show up in specialty sections of the
daily newspaper—entertainment, food,
business, real estate, automotive, technology
And most come from public relations sources
Service Journalism
 This is the concept of publishing or
broadcasting consumer tips and “news you can
use”
 Key components are demonstrating to
readers/viewers how they can save time, make
more money, save money, or get something for
free
 In other words stress “What’s in it for me?”
 If public relations professionals keep this axiom
in mind, the print media will be more than happy
to use their material
Planning a News Feature
 Creative thinking is needed
 Conceptualize how something lends itself to
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feature treatment
Determine if the information would be
interesting to and useful for a particular
audience
You must, at the same time, be sure that the
feature helps achieve organizational objectives
Does it position the organization in a favorable
light?
Does it encourage the use of a particular
product or service?
Ways to Proceed
 Most common approach—write a
general feature and distribute it to a
variety of publications in similar way
news releases are sent and posted on
an organization’s website
 Have a feature service distribute it for
you as text or “camera-ready” that
includes headlines, photos, and stories
prepared for newspaper columns/pages
(see example p. 165)
More Ways to Proceed
 Write an exclusive feature for a specific
publication– need to target a publication
that reaches your selected audience
 Familiarize yourself with such a
publication, then phone the editor,
outline the subject in about 60 seconds,
and ask if she/he would be interested
 Or send a letter that explains the idea in
a way that would interest the editor
Submit a Proposal
 From your “query” call or note, the editor
may ask you to submit a proposal
 This would include such points as:
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Tentative title of the article
Subject and theme
Significance—why important/significant?
Major points
Description of photos and graphics
available
Other Approaches
 Don’t write the feature yourself but instead give the story
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idea to a journalist
Make a pitch in hopes a journalist will develop the story,
with your help
Advantage this way is that publication’s staff invests time
and money in the story and will be more likely to public it
Disadvantage is that you lose content control
A final approach is to simply post the feature on your
organization’s website for possible downloading by
journalists and consumers
HP 2009 Feature Stories: Current feature stories
Types of Features
 Case Study/Application Story- product publicity; how
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consumers/businesses benefit by using product(s)
Research Study- surveys, polls, studies
Backgrounder- different types such as focusing on a
problem and how it was solved by an organization or a
product
Personality Profile- highlight “movers and shakers” or
unique, interesting employees
Historical Piece- anniversaries, major changes,
milestones and other events lend themselves to these.
Stressing organization’s history can lend it an air of
stability and permanence
Parts of a Feature
 Headline- informational or play on words
 The Lead- try to intrigue, appeal to curiosity. The lead is a
promise; it tells people that they will learn something that
will be beneficial to them
 The Body- don’t have to stick with inverted pyramid
formula—have direct quotes from people, concrete
examples/illustrations, statistics and research findings,
descriptive words that paint mental pictures, information
presented in an entertaining way
 The Summary- end with core message that the writer
wants to leave with the reader
 Photos and Graphics- these visuals give more appeal;
“infographics”- computer-generated artwork that
attractively displays simple tables and charts
Placement Opportunities
 Boundless– In its database, Bacon’s Media
Directory has more than 100,000 media outlets
and 900,000 editors, broadcasters, freelance
writers, syndicated columnists and bloggers
 Your challenge is to figure out what kind of
publication would be most interested in your
feature story
 Print media– newspapers, general magazines,
specialty/trade magazines, internal publications
Writing an Op-Ed
 The term “op-ed” means “opposite the
editorial page” and started with the New
York Times in 1970
 The purpose is present a variety of views
on current news events, government
policies, pending legislation, and social
issues
PR Perspective with Op-Eds
 They provide an excellent opportunity for
individuals and organizations to reach an
audience of readers, an audience that
tends to be opinion leaders and
“influentials”
 One way for an organization executive to
become a spokesperson or “thought
leader” for a particular industry cause is
write and place multiple op-ed pieces
Competitive Placements
 Most prestigious op-ed pages are those
in The New York Times, The Wall Street
Journal, The Washington Post, and the
Financial Times
 They regularly carry op-eds written by
former U.S. presidents, senators,
ambassadors, CEOs of major corps.
 WSJ receives 500-700 op-ed articles a
month and has the space for only a few
Media Seek Fresh Insights
 While your PR employer or client may
not be as prominent, editorial page
editors are always looking for fresh
insights from anyone who has expertise
or a new perspective on a topic of
current public concern
 Write op-eds that have a current news
angle to increase acceptance chances
Op-Ed Format
 By definition op-eds are short and to the point
 They normally run 400-750 words which are two-to-three
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typed double-spaced pages
Start with a catchy lead sentence or paragraph
Second graf should explain further what you said in the
lead or first paragraph
Make your point in the third graf
Use the next several grafs to support your point- logically
and with verifiable stats and quotes from experts
Wrap it all up with a concluding graf that clearly ties back
to the key point(s) made earlier
See “Writing the ‘Perfect’ Op-Ed” on p. 183
Letters to the Editor
 Considered the next best thing to op-eds
 Generally they are used to challenge a
previous editorial or news story, to add
information not included in a previous
story, or to applaud or criticize someone
or some organization
 Keep them short, a letter with 200 words
or fewer has a better use chance