Why is That News?

A recent audience study by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism reaffirms what many public relations pros have long believed but some have begun to doubt.

Even though many people say they get their news from social media, pitching stories to traditional news media is worth the time and expense because those outlets strongly influence an audience’s judgment of what is newsworthy.

“Television broadcasts, newspapers, radio, and news websites — sources where news consumption tends to be more active, intentional, and historically rooted — were widely regarded as natural homes for news,” the institute finds. “This runs counter to the idea that anything people see on, for example, social media can be considered a form of news because it constitutes new information for the user. In fact, relatively few people think this way about news.”

While the value of getting stories in the news media is clear, the chances of winning those placements are in the low single digits and shrinking.

One problem: “I suspect in most companies, the public relations person is down at No. 20 in the pecking order,” Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Group, told a predecessor to the consulting arm of Big Four accounting firm PwC in 1998.

Another problem: Public relations people often violate one of the cardinal rules of the profession: pitch only when you have news. They don’t rigorously apply to their story pitches the principles of newsworthiness that journalists use. If they did, they’d pitch a lot less.

Pitching actual stories to the news media is a key part of brand journalism, the approach we recommend. Pitching stories done the way journalists would do them is more effective than sending out self-serving press releases.

The study
The institute’s study, issued Sept. 15, 2026, offers a refresher on some, but not all, of the principles of newsworthiness, which we’ll review. Then, we’ll show how The Wall Street Journal applied those principles in three stories.

The institute is part of Oxford University and is partly funded by the foundation of Toronto-based Thomson Reuters, the parent company of the news service. To find out what people think is news, the institute obtained media diaries from 40 people and combined them with interviews and an online survey of more than 12,000 people in six countries.

Here are some of the study’s key findings, combined with a few of our comments:

• Sixty-five percent of those surveyed said “accurate and verifiable information” is an “essential” ingredient of news. Press releases often lack this quality, impairing their news value, we think.
• Scientists, politicians, business leaders and activists are more likely to be viewed as newsmakers, compared to celebrities. We think that finding underestimates the news value of public figures who aren’t experts or in positions of authority. In newsrooms, the saying goes, “Names are news.”
• “Participants consistently referred to ideas such as importance, consequence, impact, and public interest when explaining why some events counted as news while others did not.” This is a central tenet of newsworthiness.
• “Participants consistently expected news to be timely in order to be relevant, but they differed over how recent an event needed to be.”
• Reporting on an ongoing story isn’t newsworthy unless the event is a “meaningful development.” In newsrooms, editors reflect this concern by asking if a story is “another turn of the screw.”
• “Nearby events were more likely to be recognized as news when they felt directly relevant to people’s lives, while distant events readily crossed geographical boundaries when their wider consequences were considered sufficiently important.”

There’s no clear-cut formula for how the factors of newsworthiness should be applied, which leaves plenty of room for debate. Journalists sharpen their news judgments with audience analytics software such as Chartbeat. To provide insight into the factors of newsworthiness, we’ve picked three stories from the Journal on a common topic of releases: business strategy.

Exclusive
Mucinex Maker Bets $400 Million More on U.S. Supply Chain
Reckitt expands a North Carolina manufacturing plant and a New Jersey campus to meet shifts in consumer demand.
Sept. 16, 2026
The maker of Mucinex and Lysol is doubling down on U.S. product development and manufacturing to respond more quickly to shifts in consumer demand.

Why it’s news: It’s an exclusive, which news outlets covet. Big numbers are news. People who don’t recognize Reckitt Benckiser Group may know Mucinex and Lysol. There’s a larger trend of changes in consumer demand.

On Holding’s Aversion to Discounting Tested by Softer Retail Sales
The premium sportswear company’s long-held stance of no discounts is up against a more promotional retail environment
Sept. 14, 2026
On Holding built its brand around product enhancements and refusing to discount its shoes and apparel. Now, a more promotional retail environment is testing that discipline.

Why it’s news: There’s a point of tension — sagging sales versus the established premium price strategy of this Swiss maker of athletic shoes. Journalists believe that conflict engages audiences.

The story puts On’s challenge in a trend confronting the entire sportswear sector. In journalism,  it’s true that “the trend is your friend,” even more than sports betting.

The Upstart Using ‘Guerrilla Tactics’ to Shake Up the Football Helmet Business
Light Helmets circumvents locker-room gatekeepers and makes endorsement deals in a bid for visibility
Sept. 13, 2026
Football players have hawked everything from pantyhose to motor oil. But until recently, one of their sport’s most important products was off limits.

Why it’s news: Sports helps. This story wouldn’t be as newsy if the company sold medium-voltage, solid-material-lined indoor distribution fuses. It’s also the novelty of the little-known helmet manufacturer’s strategy. And Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams wore Light’s helmet on the cover of the Madden 27 videogame.

“Absolutely critical’
Richard Branson founded Virgin Group as a mail-order record seller in 1970 and has expanded the brand to include air travel, space tourism, mobile phones and hospitality. Few chief executives are as adept at attracting media attention. It isn’t by chance.

“Publicity is absolutely critical,” he wrote in his 2008 book, “Business Stripped Bare.” “A good PR story is infinitely more effective than a front-page ad.”

But a good story is a good deal harder to get.

Thomas Corfman, a senior consultant with Ragan Consulting Group, was a reporter and editor with Crain’s Chicago Business and the Chicago Tribune. Before joining RCG in 2021, he was director of communications for the Cook County Treasurer’s Office.

Want to ramp up your media relations by starting a brand journalism program? Email Tom to set up a free call with him and RCG co-founder and senior partner Jim Ylisela.

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