| Let’s say your company is opening a new | | | | With any of these three elements, you’ve |
| widget plant. Immediately, you have change, | | | | got a much stronger story to offer than with |
| which is one of the four basic elements of news. | | | | change alone. And if you can work all four into |
| But change is also the most common of these | | | | your proposal, you’ve got a monster story |
| four elements, and thus the weakest. You should | | | | with which to work. |
| search for other elements within the story. | | | | But be forewarned. Most companies will readily |
| PR Rainmakers recognize these four basic | | | | accept a story proposal that focuses on change |
| elements of news: change, conflict, aberration and | | | | and aberration. But most will resist proposals that |
| problem. | | | | point to conflicts and problems. |
| Any one of these, if significant in its scope, can | | | | Stand your ground. If your job is to get your |
| spark media interest in your story. The more of | | | | company into the news media, then it is your |
| these elements that are present, the most likely | | | | responsibility to insist that your company |
| you are to get a reporter’s attention. | | | | maximize its potential for news coverage. The |
| But the converse is also true. You must have at | | | | trick is to do it in a way that does not harm or |
| least one of these elements in your story | | | | embarrass your company. |
| proposal, or you simply do not have a news | | | | In this, you must be guided by common sense |
| story. | | | | and good judgment. Look for conflicts and |
| We’ve looked at change. Let’s look | | | | problems that portray your company as a hero |
| at the other three elements that can put muscle | | | | or as an underdog. Do this, and resistance within |
| on a weak news proposal. | | | | your company will melt away. |
| You find out that some industry experts think | | | | Just as attorneys must keep their clients within |
| it’s insane for a company to invest in a | | | | the law, and accountants must keep their clients |
| widget plant in the current economy. | | | | within generally accepted accounting principles, so |
| There’s conflict. | | | | must you — as your company’s |
| You learn that your company’s widget | | | | media relations counsel — prod your client |
| factory is the nation’s first new widget | | | | or your boss to make the most of any |
| factory since World War II. There’s | | | | opportunity to create news. |
| aberration. | | | | The PR Rainmaker knows: Change is news. But to |
| You discover that your company must convince | | | | really get attention, you must find a way to |
| customers to embrace a revolutionary new | | | | include conflict, aberration and problem in any |
| design over cheap imports of an outdated, but | | | | story proposal. |
| functional design. There’s your problem. | | | | |