What makes news newsworthy?
You love your research and we love your research. However, not every piece of research is newsworthy right now. It should meet at least some of these criteria:
You can use the acronym TRUTH - timely, relatable, unusual, trouble and human.
Timely: does it offer something new? e.g., a new research paper or report, or topical? Is there something happening in the wider world that your story links to, or provides another viewpoint, or responds to? (What is the newshook?)
Relatable: can you explain the story easily? Is it something people can understand?
Unusual: Is it in some way novel or unusual eg: 'man bites dog' rather than what you'd expect, the other way around?
Trouble: is it bad news for someone?
Human: who specifically is going to care about the story; or does it involve well-known people or organisations.
These criteria should inform the angle of your news story (why it’s important).
When you’re thinking about whether a story is newsworthy, think carefully about the outlet you’d be aiming for and their audience. A piece of research might be big news in specialist media, but that doesn’t mean it has to go out to main media in the UK. Remember – a press release isn’t the only way to communicate research! Think personalised emails to key stakeholders, news item on the website or an op-ed by the author.
Key questions to ask
- What was the problem? (e.g. why did the researchers decide to do this research?)
- What did the researchers do to solve it?
- What are the implications of the research? (How did it solve the problem?)
Recent examples of newsworthy research and opinion include: the Grenfell Op Ed in The Conversation.