Top Tips and insider advice
Incorporate communications into your planning from the get-go in consultation with the person and/or team delivering.
What makes a strong story?
I really love my work as I get to amplify the work of charities and clients I believe in, which is what drives me, so the outcome matters a lot every time.
When it all comes together, it’s dynamite, as it was for a client this week who was on the front page of a national newspaper, with a good amount of coverage in other outlets and a positive response from an influential stakeholder.
But being the interface with the media often feels like boom or bust - a zero-sum game.
If a story is picked up (covered), I often get proper credit to policy experts, colleagues, decision-makers, and a tenacious journalist.
If a story isn't picked up, there may be almost nothing tangible to show for the work I and others have done (and a client has paid for).
Powerful and important stories may not be picked up because it’s just not the right time, because the news agenda is so fast-moving and competitive, or because a crucial ingredient is missing, whether a strong hook, data, or sufficient evidence of other kinds, a personal perspective, or a recognised authority.
If that happens, it’s a blow. The story really matters to the people the organisation serves, and it probably touches on an issue that affects a far wider constituency. Others have put a huge amount of work into developing the pitch:
Policy experts do the nitty-gritty hard graft.
The CEO bears responsibility for a public position that could provoke supporters, detractors, allies, decision-makers, and anyone who sees the coverage.
Colleagues may have worked with partners, gathered evidence, prepared social media posts, and much more.
In the most difficult cases, someone with lived experience of a life-defining issue may have galvanised themself to give an interview (although I’d never ask this unless very close to ‘closing the deal’with a media outlet).
A journalist may have done a huge amount of research to stand the premise up, may have pitched to their editor, and put their reputation on the line every time they publish a story.