Cutting Through the Political Noise

Written by ls2group

Cutting through the noise of the news cycle can be difficult, especially now as we are less than a month away from the presidential election and in the middle of a worldwide pandemic. Despite the 24-hour news coverage of COVID-19 and the upcoming election, public relations professionals still have to try and break through the noise to tell their clients’ stories.

While securing news coverage right now seems like an uphill battle, there are some tricks public relations professionals can use to try to break through.

Decide if the topic is newsworthy

This may seem like a no brainer, but often what may seem newsworthy to a client may not be considered newsworthy to the media. To decide if your topic is newsworthy, weigh how much impact it has on the general public and if the topic is related to current events.

Define your target audience

After determining if your topic is newsworthy, you need to identify your target audience and how to reach them. Is your audience listening to the radio, watching TV, reading the newspaper, or on social media? Knowing your audience and how they consume news will help you come up with a good strategy on how to best reach them.

Look for alternative news sources

Thinking outside the box for new or alternative media publications can pay off. Often public relations professionals are zoned in on pitching traditional media and don’t think to pitch podcasts, blogs, and newsletters. These alternative sources can not only provide good coverage of the topic but can also provide more in-depth coverage.

While it may seem difficult to cut through the news cycle, it’s not impossible, especially if you know your audience and look for alternative news sources.