As a former Fleet Street journalist turned legal PR, one of the most common questions I hear from lawyers is: ‘What makes a news story?’ Everybody reading this would probably give a different answer, but that’s the crux of it. It is never one thing.
Journalists are always looking to answer the questions: who, what, where, when, why and how? These are the central tenets of every story, whether it be a corporate legal matter or a murder trial.
So, the who. Who is involved? It’s a lot more interesting if it’s David Beckham than Joe Bloggs. Is the person involved a judge or a PR man? I think you can work out which one is more newsworthy. Is there a big brand involved? Again, it is more interesting if it’s Coca-Cola than Dad & Son Builders.
Where did it happen? It’s more interesting if it happened at Buckingham Palace
