In the Absence of Hard News, Create "Angles"

It isn't always possible to create a regular stream of press releases based on current events. During times when your organization has no hard news stories to report, create press releases based on soft news "angles."

You may be able to find or create an angle by exploring your organization's website: Message boards, blogs, chat rooms, surveys, and feedback pages can all be used as source material for a soft-news press release. For instance:

• Is a leading environmental activist willing to write a guest post on your organization's blog?
• Will a well-known pediatrician lead a parents-only discussion about children's health in your chat room?
• Does your online survey reveal information about young adults' attitudes toward sexually transmitted diseases?

If so, distribute a press release.

Each of these online events can be used to create several press releases. Consider the chat room discussion. You may be able to create one press release that announces the upcoming chat, one that offers insight into the current state of children's health, and another that focuses on the diverse views of the chat room participants. Narrow your ideas and focus each press release on a single angle: Are today's kids healthier than children a generation ago? What are parents doing about the obesity problem? Is childhood health the responsibility of the family or the school system?

Test potential "angles" by asking: "Is this soft news story at least as compelling to our audience as news of a traffic jam on their typical route home?" If so, start writing.

While hard news must be reported in a timely manner, reporters can often create a story from a soft news press release months after it has been distributed.