How To Create A News Angle

By Michael Levine
Posted Monday, February 14, 2005

Think of a triangle. On the left, imagine the story you want to tell. On the right, you have zeitgeist , or curent events.

The object of the game is to create a unified, triangulated center...literally an "angle" for your story.

For example, if you have improved your business practices, you might utilize the popularity of television transformations, and promote your story as an "extreme makeover" for busy professionals.

By tying your story to something topical, you vastly improve its chances of being heard.

A good story with a mediocre salesperson is better than a bad story told by the most articulate salesperson. Lack of slickness is actually an asset.

If you had the greatest press kit in the world-but a lackluster story-I couldn't get you on the Today Show . But if you were pregnant with Osama Bin Laden's baby, I could get you on with a smudged fax.

In America Today, for better or worse, the way we become credible is by being visible. These are wacky times. Where there's no visibility, there is no credibility. That's just the way it works.

GuerrillaPR Insights is a, weekly newsletter that does 2 things: First, it provides readers with a weekly, actionable "insights" on how you can work more effectively with the media.

Secondly, it provides NAPES: Names, Addresses, and Phone numbers of key media producers and editors. For example, in a recent issue, we gave specific contact information on how to contact the producers of the Oprah Winfrey Show. To check out the archives, go to: (http://www.guerrillapr.net/) Guerrilla_PR_Insights-backissues.html

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