Feed the Beast

When I started as a business reporter at the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong in the 1990s, we’d wander in late morning, enjoy a leisurely lunch, and write our stories at a gentle pace for a late-night deadline.

Those days are long gone. Online and social media deadlines are hungry beasts that never stop needing to be fed. After a heavy day, the print edition comes later and needs a different angle altogether. Print and newswire reporters may now also be expected to pop up on TV, radio and podcasts, and to shoot their own photos and video.

When I moved into broadcasting with CNBC and CNA, the pace picked up. At Bloomberg it was faster still: headlines are timed off to the second against rivals, because investors make or lose big money based on being first with the news.

Add years of layoffs, shrinking newsrooms, misinformation and now AI, and today’s reporters are stretched thin. Many are generalists juggling several beats at once. They are often overworked, underpaid and thinking about their next assignment.

That can work in your favour. Give journalists what they need quickly and clearly, and you’ll have a far better chance of being heard. Here’s what they’re looking for.

1. A story that’s easy to tell
   When a pitch arrives with the facts checked, a spokesperson available and good visuals ready to go, it’s halfway to publication. On deadline, most journalists will choose the clear, easy story over a slightly better one that takes more work.
2. Something new
   Journalists live to be first. An exclusive, early access or a fresh angle on today’s news makes you far more valuable than a mass email to every newsroom. Always answer the question: why does this matter today?
3. Quotes that cut through
   Studies of TV news have put the average soundbite at around seven or eight seconds, roughly 18 words. Radio is even shorter, while print and online quotes typically run at between eight and 12 words. Before any interview, prepare a few short, memorable lines, then land them with emphasis so they stand out.
4. Proof points
   Matt Winkler, Bloomberg News’ founding editor-in-chief, had a simple mantra: accuracy, accuracy, accuracy. Credible journalists stake their reputations on getting the facts right, so bring data that stands up. Remember, too, that a reporter’s job isn’t to amplify your message. It is to test it.
5. Stories about people
   We remember stories far better than facts. Build your message around three key points, and back each one with hard evidence and a short anecdote that brings it to life. Human impact beats corporate achievement every time.
6. A headline that sells itself
   Think like an editor. A press release headline or story pitch should tell readers instantly why they should care. Big numbers, well-known names and a surprising twist all help. Cut the fluff, hype, jargon and acronyms, and don’t state the obvious.

What makes journos hit delete

A product launch dressed up as news. Vague claims with no evidence. Anything “world-leading”. And a long press release with the real story buried in paragraph four.

The good news? Once you learn to think like a journalist, the press becomes much easier to work with.