The 8:05

It’s important, but is it news?

Headshot of Michael Armini
by

A few months back in the 8:05 I laid out why I don’t like—and never use—the term “press release.” If you missed that one, it came from an essay I published on LinkedIn headlined: Got News? You can forget the press release. The main point is that it doesn’t matter how you convey a pitch to the media, it’s what you’re pitching that matters. 

This issue comes up all the time in universities. Those who run labs and research institutes often work for months or years on a project and get justifiably disappointed when the press doesn’t show a level of interest commensurate with the amount of time and work invested. 

Clarifying this question, “What is news?” can be helpful. The most basic definition of news is something that is novel and doesn’t happen every day. The old saying, “The press don’t report on the planes that land safely” remains true. Another common refrain is “Editors want man-bites-dog stories, not dog-bites-man stories.”

An illustration of a man biting a dog's tail.

But these responses are a bit flip and this is a thoughtful community doing important work. So, to help shed some light on this question, I turned to two very accomplished colleagues who know journalism from the inside. Joanna Weiss is the editor of Experience Magazine, and spent nearly 20 years working in major newspapers as a reporter, editor, and columnist: 

“I have a post-it note on my computer that says, ‘Where’s the surprise? Where’s the changing world?’ That’s the filter I apply to every story we consider at Experience. A story needs to tell you something surprising; it needs to leave you with an altered view of the world around you; and it needs to fit into a broader narrative about how tomorrow could be different from yesterday.”

Well said, Joanna. I also reached out to George Donnelly, executive editor of News@Northeastern. George has been the top editor of several business and general news publications and is an accomplished nonfiction author: 

“There’s yesterday’s news, which often is not news at all, and then there’s provocative, high-value news that keeps readers reading and makes them smarter. High-value news for us includes exceptional accomplishments and/or transformational experiences that explain how the Northeastern community is engaged in helping to solve the world’s greatest challenges.” 

My goal in sharing these insights is not to be a wet blanket. Effective storytelling has been a key element of Northeastern’s brand strategy for the past dozen years, so thinking intentionally about news value helps us throw more logs onto the fire. If you’re working on something and eager to secure coverage—internally and externally—get in touch with Joanna, George, or Vice President Renata Nyul. They will road test your pitches and make them as compelling as possible.

More of The 8:05