Have You Got News For Us? – BBC Cymru Wales

By Megan Olney

BBC Cymru Wales organised this masterclass to give those involved a better understanding of how the media works, what constitutes a ‘story’, and what techniques they can utilise to best maximise their chances of getting a story on air or in print. The emphasis seemed to lie with presenting stories that the media will favour, as competition is tough. You need to create stories that stand out and will interest readers, but what makes a good story?

· Timing: The media aren’t necessarily concerned with unheard of or astounding new stories; rather they are concerned with whether it makes a good story at the time. For example, if it ties in with narratives of current national stories or even of well known TV soaps.

· Significance: What impact are the facts of this story going to make on real people?

· Proximity: Is the story local to those reading it? Locality is a key part of making the story read worthy.

· Prominence: Is this story important, or would many readers have heard of the issues being addressed in their local areas?

· Human Interest: Perhaps one of the most important points discussed during the class; the interest in these stories lies with how it affects, or could affect, the readers personally. Humanising the story means involving a real life case study, and avoiding listing the names of company partnerships or funders as best you can. Although these may be important to your project, the media simply aren’t interested. Academic recognition isn’t what you’re after here,

· Audience/Platform: Do your research, and inform yourself of the target audience of each newspaper or radio station, then ask whether this is the right platform for your story; is it going to reach the right people?

A key step to getting attention for your story is putting together a well thought out and interesting press release. BBC Cymru receive hundreds of press releases daily, they won’t waste time on a press release that is hard to read or confusing. The workshop set out some basic guidelines for how to do this, for example outlining the story in the first few lines, humanising the story using a case study, listing partnerships lower down the page, mentioning if you have a welsh speaker, and stating your institution as the subject of the email. Finally, be active; the media aren’t going to come to you. Know your local media institutions and get in touch with them directly over the phone or by email, ask for specific producers or programme teams and show an interest in their work. It seems that flattery can get your foot in the door.