What is News?

Engineering Communications Office

Think “Newsworthy” to Get Your Story Published

Example: "Researcher gets grant, award, prize." (or Student gets scholarship, award, prize.)

From a journalist's and editor's perspective, every researcher on campus gets grants, awards, and prizes. Students are expected to be smart and to earn scholarships. What makes these accomplishments stand out?

Example: "Alumnus makes good."

Since all of our graduates are equipped to be successful, achievements and awards are not unusual. How is the graduate engaged with the college or university to make it a story that we (rather than their public relations staff) should work on placing? Does it tie in with other news or issues being covered nationally or regionally?

One of our goals is to be a reliable and credible resource for editors and reporters in mass media. We want to provide them with stories, ideas, and sources that they can use—and they are looking for good stories.

Editors are the gatekeepers to the media outlets they serve. They run stories that they think their readers/viewers will find interesting and valuable—valuable enough that they will continue to purchase their publication, watch commercials, or spend time on that website.

We consider the same factors that editors do when deciding whether a story is newsworthy (see list below for more details):

Because it is “new” and timely
It affects everyone…(or someone)
All news is "local news"

News Criteria

1. Because it is “new” and timely – The word news means exactly that—things which are new, or “How does that affect me now?" Topics which are current are good news. Stories about flu shots and preventive care run near the beginning of flu season. Tornado-related stories run during seasons when tornados can be expected.

Is your story idea related to something that is already in the news, or does it address a current issue or solve a problem that is on the collective mind of the public?

2. It affects everyone…(or someone) – For most people, the question asked is, “How does this affect me?” They want to know how a certain development will affect them personally, professionally, or impact society as a whole. They are interested in the results of research rather than news that such research is proposed or ongoing.

The number of people affected by the story is also important. Does the subject affect only a handful of people in a large city like Chicago, select professionals in a given field of research, or is it applicable to a wider audience?

A very specific audience, such as the readership of an association magazine, science or education-oriented publication may be more valuable than a general readership with limited interest (national magazine, large metro newspaper, etc.).

Someone is interested…we just need to know who.

3. College and university angle – The primary missions of the University of Illinois include Education, Research, Public Service, and Economic Development.

Does this story highlight one of these missions and add to the value perception of the college or university?

4. All news is local news – Again, how does this news affect me? People want to know what is happening in their local community. They want to know how their local officials are managing, and where their tax dollars are being spent. They want to know if their neighborhood is safe, and if school will be open tomorrow.

Similarly, reporters are constantly working to find local angles on national stories. Example: How does the collapse of a major highway bridge in Minneapolis (August 2007) relate to our own highway infrastructure in Illinois? If you know the answer as a result of research or demonstrated expertise, the media will want to talk to you.

5. Odd or unusual – This is the classic category of "man bites dog" journalism. That a plane landed safely is routine and expected; a plane crash is news. What is important to one person may not be to another.

6. Conflict – Disagreement is generally more newsworthy than agreement. This is why politics and sports make easy news: it is easy to find disagreement. As a practitioner, you need to give some thought to whether you want to expose yourself or your client to this phenomenon. Because the reporter wants a balanced story, he or she will often look for someone to disagree with the point of view you express, or at least to offer a different perspective.

7. Relevance to audience – Editors know their audiences; you should, too. A scientific breakthrough may be of interest to general media, but it will certainly be of interest to a publication focusing on that field of research. Being sensitive to the audiences that editors are trying to reach, and demonstrating that your story idea is relevant to that audience, will increase your chances of getting coverage.

8. Universal appeal – Stories that affect, or have the potential to affect, everyone are also newsworthy. A story about a child with a rare disease is interesting because it is unusual. But it is also effective because all parents worry about the health of their children and are interested in children's health generally. Reporters like stories that their audience can relate to, no matter how unusual the topic may be. Universality is closely related to relevance to the audience.

9. Proximity – Stories which happen near to us have more significance. Usually, the closer the story to home, the more newsworthy it is. Reporters are always looking for ways to add a local or regional spin on a national or global story. Example: The collapse of a major arterial bridge in Minneapolis in August 2007 caused media across the country to ask its state and local governments about the stability of bridges, highways, and related infrastructure.

10. Prominence – Famous people get more coverage just because they are famous. However, inviting prominent individuals to a closed meeting does not necessarily spark the interest of the local media, unless they can have access and develop a story that will serve their local audiences. Similarly, awards recognize different levels of achievement, and as such, receive different levels of attention by the media.

For example: the Nobel Prize is recognized internationally as one of the highest honors in science. Election of a faculty member to the National Academy of Engineering also honors the university and college, where a certificate of achievement from an specialized engineering association carries less weight.

11. Human interest – Human interest stories are a bit of a special case. They often disregard the main rules of newsworthiness; for example, they don't date as quickly, they need not affect a large number of people, and it may not matter where in the world the story takes place.

Human interest stories appeal to emotion. They aim to evoke responses such as amusement or sadness. Television news programs often place a humorous or quirky story at the end of the show to finish on a feel-good note. Newspapers often have a dedicated area for offbeat or interesting items.

How do news stories get written and released at Illinois?

U of I News Bureau
As part of the university's Office of Public Affairs, News Bureau writers produce and distribute stories that promote the entire campus. These usually include peer-reviewed and published research results, and stories related to national and statewide issues. The News Bureau also publishes these stories bi-weekly for faculty and staff in Inside Illinois.

Contact: James E. Kloeppel, physical sciences editor,
244-1073; kloeppel@uiuc.edu.

For short announcements about faculty appointments (department head, center director, etc.) or significant awards, send an email to Doris Dahl, editor, Inside Illinois, dkdahl@uiuc.edu.

In addition to media relations, the Office of Public Affairs administers several outreach vehicles that communicate to both internal and external audiences.

Engineering Communications Office (Engr. Comm.)
Staff editors write and distribute stories that promote the College of Engineering, including major research grant awards, significant faculty awards (NAE/NAS/AAAS Fellow), administrative appointments within the college, and faculty and student achievements that have national or statewide impact.

In addition to media relations, Engr. Comm. also maintains the College of Engineering website which features stories about the college, administrators, faculty, and students for internal audiences. Through its regular e-newsletters—Engineering Update (weekly, to COE undergraduates) and College of Engineering Headlines (monthly, to alumni and friends of the college)—the ECO publishes news and announcements aimed at these special audiences.

If you have story ideas or need help with media relations, contact: Rick Kubetz, media communications specialist, 244-7716, rkubetz@uiuc.edu.

Department & Unit Communicators
Individuals within various college units gather and publish announcements and stories about faculty, students, and alumni for their websites, alumni and other publications. Stories may be pitched to the Engineering Communications Office for possible publication on the COE website, or in other regular publications.