How to Get Your Organization into the Daily News Mix

The driving concept behind brand journalism is to publish. Often. You can’t showcase your company’s expertise and burnish its reputation by publishing a random story here and there, or worse, the occasional press release.

Here’s a familiar lament from the news teams we work with at organizations big and small: “We’d love to tell that story, but who’s got the time to do it?”

Given all the responsibilities heaped on communicators, from awards to PowerPoint decks and marketing content, it’s a wonder they manage to publish anything of substance at all.

That’s why so many social media channels, which demand to be fed regularly, are clogged with posts about Fill-in-the-Blank day or month. (As you read this, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, we’re celebrating National Vichyssoise Day.)

Writing teams are stretched thin. We’re not exactly in a hiring boom right now, so how do we push out more and better content? One answer is to become a top-notch newsjacker.

Newsjacking is the idea that you can insert your organization’s insights — and your own experts — into a timely news story.

You’re helping your audience by bringing an important story to their attention.  But you don’t have to create a story from scratch, just add value to a story that’s already out there.

Newsjacking is a way to augment your editorial output by filling in the gaps between your own original reporting. Here are our five tips for effective newsjacking:

1. Set up some Google alerts or other tools that will deliver the day’s news to your inbox under parameters you established. Scan the news every morning for newsjack ideas.

2. Choose carefully. Your newsjacks should be able to stand in for stories you would do yourself if you had the time.

3. Develop a stable of expert commentators. The idea behind newsjacks is that they can be turned around quickly, while the news is still fresh. That means you can’t wait days for one of your subject-matter experts to get back to you. Assemble a list of “go-to” internal sources who know the drill and will answer the call. 

4. Make newsjacking a part of your daily news meeting. Most teams meet weekly to plan and talk about content, and we agree with that. But news moves too fast. Media inquiries, social posts and newsjacking have a limited shelf life. Use it or lose it. The daily meeting is intended to be short, so whoever attends should come prepared to pitch a newsjack. (Read more about daily meetings and how to run an effective newsletter in our free download.)

5. Establish some ground rules. You can newsjack virtually anything, depending on your industry. Don’t do that. Here’s what makes a worthy newsjack:

• Timely. The news is fresh and will still be relevant tomorrow or the next day.
• Relevant. The news can be directly applied to what your organization does.
• You have subject matter experts who can speak to the topic and offer insights and analysis. If you like, you can tie the newsjack to a call to action, a link to one of your products or services, or to a story on the topic you’ve previously published.
• Don’t plagiarize. This is not about making someone else’s work your own. Link back to the original story while adding fresh details and insight from your own experts.

Newsjack ideas
In looking for stories to newsjack, these three sources have never failed us.

Studies and research. Tailor-made for newsjacks. They often get lots of attention, though few people will read the actual study. A perfect place to insert your experts.

Health enews, the brand journalism site of Advocate Health Care, runs several newsjacks a week. Writer Emily Knapp shows us how it’s done with her Nov. 5 story, “Are men with diabetes at a higher risk for complications?” She nails three elements:

• A recent study from a reputable source (the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health)
• Her own expert (an Advocate endocrinologist)
• A call to action (a free, online diabetes quiz)

Breaking news. The staff of RED, the outstanding brand journalism platform for Metropolitan State University of Denver, are primo newsjackers, often localizing timely news stories of national importance.

Case in point: Karen Garvey’s Nov. 3 story, “SNAP uncertainty magnifies growing food insecurity on college campuses.”

RED has covered food insecurity before. Garvey reports that a campus study from 2024 found that 50% of MSU Denver students experience food insecurity. The story highlights the school’s expanded food pantry for students in need.

Complex news. I’ve written about Steve Wyett’s keen eye for news before. The chief investment strategist at Tulsa-based BOK Financial is a terrific analyst of the quickly changing financial landscape, and his insights are a must-read on the bank’s brand journalism platform, The Statement.

In his Nov. 7 post, “The Fed—and financial markets—face data fog,” Wyett explains how incomplete information during the government shutdown raises risks for investors and other decision-makers. The post includes a link to the bank’s full weekly market update report.

Bonus tip: Don’t fall in love. I’ve seen news teams become quite enamored with newsjacks, to the point that they publish little else. Newsjacking fills the gaps in your coverage; you still need to do your own stories and analyses.

Jim Ylisela loves a lively, early-morning newsjacking pitch session when no one’s had quite enough coffee. Want to learn more about how we can work with your news team? Email Jim to set up a free, 30-minute conversation.

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