Discover how media professionals can navigate today’s competitive landscape by harnessing the power of video content and crafting authentic, attention-grabbing stories.
01 November 2024
Insight from: Shaun Devitt
In today’s rapidly changing media landscape, it’s often surprising the stories that attract the most interest in the media. Unfortunately, the likes of serious accidents, mass casualty events and natural disasters garner a lot of attention – fortunately the experts tell us that’s more to do with human psychology than it is about us being ghouls! But there are stories that appear in our news feed that grab our attention even though the content seems reasonably innocuous, random even.
One example recently was a story about a handbag donated to a regional NSW op shop, which actually turned out to be from a famous designer, and worth thousands; a bottle found on a beach with a message inside; a primary school student’s perfect attendance record; and even the country’s latest inflation number. Just what will capture people’s interest, and even imaginations, is not always obvious, but there are a few factors at play that can help media, journalists and communications specialists determine if a story will resonate or be easily skimmed over.
Factors That Determine A Story’s Resonance
Some of the key elements that make stories engaging include:
- Proximity: Is it relevant to the audience’s immediate environment?
- Prominence: Does it involve well-known people or organisations?
- Conflict and controversy: Does it stir debate, a clash of opinions or make you second-guess a long-held belief?
- Timeliness: Is the story current or linked to recent events?
- Novelty: Is it unique or surprising?
- Relevance: Does the story effect the audience’s life?
How to Capture Media Attention: It’s All in the Pitch
In an increasingly competitive media environment, editors and journalists are looking for unique and often exclusive stories to attract audiences to their various channels, be they traditional mediums such as print or ever-expanding digital platforms. This is also an important factor, because journalists are expected to file multiple versions of their story, often for broadcast, digital and print media.
This creates pressure for time-poor journalists, as news organisations reduce staff while still maintaining a 24-hour news cycle. Knowing what will grab their attention - and providing access to a suite of different content options including videos and photos - is key to getting your story not only published or on the air, but to also capturing the gaze of an audience that are also contending with their own demands and hectic schedules.
Presenting journalists with solutions to public-interest issues is often vital to capturing a news editor's attention. Ask: how does this story provide benefit to the audience? Can you show how something is achieved rather than just telling them about it? Being able to offer real people as spokespeople is one way of doing this because authenticity resonates deeply. Journalists are as sceptical of spin as audiences are aware of being sold the truth.
Metro vs. Rural Media: Do Their Preferences Differ?
Does what media in rural and regional areas, compared to those in metropolitan markets, look for in a story differ? Well, the short answer is, sometimes. The long answer is more to do with knowing your audience and what’s relevant to them, and also having a good understanding of the media you’re pitching your story to. Knowing both their groups and their needs cannot be underestimated.
It's critical to ask, would anyone really care about this story? How does it affect their daily life? While some people may think metro audiences are more transactional - as in, what's in it for me? - and will they even read past the headline or first few paragraphs if you don't hook them in, the same can be said about equally-shrewd audiences in regional and rural areas.
Stories around weather are a great example of the metro and rural divide. How often do you hear metro forecasters boasting of prolonged sunny spells in the city, when other parts of the country are screaming out for rain? But even in regional areas, one farmer's blessing could be another's curse, even across a single state or territory. Rain may be desperately needed for one crop while it could seriously impact harvest of another. So, when talking to media professionals about a story, it’s important to be across other issues circulating in that sector – is there the potential to alienate or irritate some sections of the audience by promoting another perspective?
How We Approach Media Pitching
We have a number of former journalists in our team who bring this knowledge of story-telling and newsrooms to the work we do. They know the demands on journalists today, and what it takes to get a story over the line. Reporters who once specialised in particular areas are fewer in numbers, so where once you may have been able to speak to someone who wrote primarily about agriculture, now it’s more common to deal with journalists who report across the spectrum – an agricultural yarn this morning, a school funding story at lunchtime and the expansion of a local retail business in the afternoon.
So, clear and concise messaging, relevant facts and figures, case studies and experts must be delivered up front so the journalist can convey the story to their audience in a positive, informative and credible way. With this experience and industry knowledge within our team, we know who in the media to call, whether it’s combatting a crisis, or getting the client's campaign in front of the right people. We also know reputation, and trust, is everything – tough to build but easy to lose – so honesty, integrity and transparency are at the forefront of all our interactions to protect both our clients, and our business.
‘Content is king’ – Video is Crucial in Telling Today’s Stories
A newer piece in this broad media puzzle are the pictures that help tell the story. As they say, ‘content is king’, and today the explosion in social media platforms has taken this to unparalleled levels. Where once photos were the icing on the cake, now that’s video content. Images still have their place and often complement the video content, but video is now another vital component. The US software company Sprinklr has revealed videos on Facebook receive 10 times more shares than other types of posts.
Broadcast and print outlets now rely on photos and videos to tell their stories, as all now have to feed social media channels and websites. Seftons has media professionals skilled in recording video content for media distribution and other client requirements, understanding that a news story or social media content has eight seconds to impress.
That’s right, you have eight seconds to hook someone on a story or a post, or they move on, so if video can improve your chances, it’s a no-brainer.
