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25/07/2008
New Secondary Schools Online Survey More...

18/07/2008
Appointment Announcement - The Revd Pam Abraham More...

18/07/2008
Appointment Announcement - The Revd Canon Fiona Brampton More...

18/07/2008
Appointment Announcement - The Reverend Christopher Barter More...

17/07/2008
Departure Announcement - The Revd Stephen Taylor More...

14/07/2008
Prince Charles bestows agricultural fellowship on Bishop of Ely More...

03/07/2008
Consecration of Bishop of Huntingdon More...

01/07/2008
Northstowe New School Competitions More...

30/06/2008
Consecration of new Bishop of Huntingdon More...

30/06/2008
Diocesan Children's Work Adviser More...

29/06/2008
Petertide Ordination 2008 at Ely Cathedral More...

24/06/2008
Appointment Announcement - The Revd Jutta Brueck More...

24/06/2008
Appointment Announcement - The Revd Fiona Windsor More...

24/06/2008
Announcement - Rural Dean Fordham & Quy Deanery More...

06/06/2008
The Venerable John Sanderson Long More...

05/06/2008
Bishop’s Lent Appeal raises £17,000 More...

02/06/2008
New Bishop of Huntingdon appointed More...

02/06/2008
The Revd Canon George Christopher Stead More...

20/05/2008
The Revd Mark Mills-Powell More...

17/05/2008
Children's Holiday Clubs More...

28/04/2008
Licensing Details - The Revd Sheila Anthony More...

18/04/2008
Announcement of Rural Dean Appointment - The Revd Canon Wim Zwalf More...

18/04/2008
Announcement of Rural Dean Appointment - The Revd Canon Shamus Williams More...

18/04/2008
Announcement of Rural Dean Appointment - The Revd Canon Dr John Binns More...

14/04/2008
Announcement of Appointment - The Revd Sheila Anthony More...

11/04/2008
Retirement Announcement - The Revd Christopher Strong More...

11/04/2008
Parish of Trumpington More...

09/04/2008
The Parish of Trumpington More...

01/04/2008
Departure Announcement - The Revd Anna Hult More...

01/04/2008
Retirement Announcement - The Revd Geoff Turner More...

01/04/2008
Retirement Announcement - The Revd David Spencer More...

18/03/2008
Appointment Announcement - The Revds Alan & Jane Hulme More...

11/03/2008
St Catharine’s College Girls’ Choir More...

01/03/2008
The Launch Of 'Breathe' More...

20/02/2008
Retirement Announcement - The Revd Richard Bunyan More...

15/02/2008
Licensing Details - The Revd Kylie Hodgins More...

04/02/2008
Appointment Annnouncement - The Revd Margaret Ann Gurner More...

04/02/2008
The Revd Stanley Brown More...

25/01/2008
Institution Details - The Revd Matthew Bradbury More...

24/01/2008
Licensing Details - The Revd Dr Paul Andrews More...

23/01/2008
DIOCESE OF ELY PRESS RELEASE - Trumpington Tribunal More...

18/01/2008
Bishop’s Lent Appeal to support people affected by leprosy More...

16/01/2008
Diocesan Children's Work Adviser More...

11/01/2008
Appointment Announcement - Chair of the Diocesan Youth Council More...

10/01/2008
Bishop Anthony backs sustainable initiatives for local democracy More...

05/01/2008
New Year's Honours Awards More...

04/01/2008
Appointment Announcement - The Revd Matthew Bradbury More...

03/01/2008
Appointment Announcement - The Revd Kylie Hodgins More...

03/01/2008
Appointment of New Honorary Canons More...

13/12/2007
Four new Honorary Canons to be installed early next year More...

11/12/2007
Departure Announcement - The Revd Dr Giles Kendall More...

10/12/2007
Bishop takes seat in House of Lords More...

03/12/2007
Appointment Announcement - The Reverend Dr Paul Andrews More...

02/12/2007
Hundreds say fond farewell to Bishop John More...

25/11/2007
Hundreds of local parishioners expected at Bishop's farewell More...

24/11/2007
FAREWELL TO BISHOP JOHN More...

19/11/2007
The Reverend Nigel Cooper More...

16/11/2007
The Reverend Professor Dan Hardy More...

13/11/2007
Appointment Announcement - The Revd Annabel Shilson-Thomas More...

05/11/2007
Departure Announcement - The Revd Dale Gingrich More...

01/11/2007
Appointment and Licensing Details - The Revd Rachel Nicholls More...

29/10/2007
Bishop’s Adviser for Music appointed More...

29/10/2007
A day of prayer for the Armed Forces More...

25/10/2007
Lent Appeal More...

22/10/2007
Presentation Gift for Bishop John More...

22/10/2007
Departure Announcement - The Revd Dr Diana Sanders More...

22/10/2007
Appointment Announcement - The Revd Val Fernandez More...

20/10/2007
Provincial Tribunal - Trumpington More...

17/09/2007
Bishop John's Farewell Service More...

17/09/2007
Departure Announcement - The Reverend David Deboys More...

16/09/2007
55 Lay Ministers commissioned More...

12/09/2007
The hidden world of labour slavery in Britain More...

03/09/2007
Retirement Announcement - The Revd Canon Fred Kilner More...

17/08/2007
Church thefts More...

17/08/2007
Flood appeal More...

10/08/2007
Retirement Announcement - The Revd Colin Backhouse More...

09/08/2007
Announcement of New Rural Dean Appointment : Keith Johnson More...

09/08/2007
Announcement of New Rural Dean Appointment : James Blandford-Baker More...

09/08/2007
Announcement of New Rural Dean Appointment Annette Reed More...

03/08/2007
Retirement Announcement - The Revd Canon Jeremy Pemberton More...

30/07/2007
Flood Appeal - closing date & gift aid More...

25/07/2007
From Bishop Anthony: the recent flood disaster More...

12/07/2007
Lent Appeal raises over £10,560 to challenge poverty More...

10/07/2007
Bishop John Inge to become Bishop of Worcester More...

06/07/2007
Licensing Details - The Revd Stuart Mews More...

05/07/2007
Licensing Details - The Revd Nick Devenish More...

04/07/2007
Attempted car bombings More...

01/07/2007
Bishops ordain record number of clergy this year More...

11/06/2007
ELY DIOCESAN SYNOD 9.6.2007 - A STATEMENT BY THE BISHOP OF ELY More...

08/06/2007
Licensing Details - The Revd Keith Jeffries More...

22/05/2007
Appointment Announcement - Honorary Rural Officer More...

16/05/2007
Appointment Announcement - The Revd Nick Devenish More...

13/05/2007
Christian Aid Week More...

08/05/2007
Retirement Announcement - The Revd Canon Roger Arguile More...

08/05/2007
Licensing Details - The Revds Michael Banyard & Kate Peacock More...

08/05/2007
Licensing Details - The Revd Dr Robin McKenzie More...

30/04/2007
Retirement Announcement - The Revd Canon Christine Sindall More...

19/04/2007
New Schools' Bulletin launched More...

18/04/2007
Appointment Announcement - The Reverend Dr Robin McKenzie More...

09/04/2007
Diocesan Children's Work Adviser More...

03/04/2007
The Reverend Richard Kenneth David Watkins-Wright More...

03/04/2007
Appointment Announcement - Honorary Assistant Directors of Ordinands More...

30/03/2007
Appointment Announcement - The Revd Michael Hore More...

29/03/2007
Institution details - The Revd Nick Moir More...

27/03/2007
Mission Shaped School Study Day 20th April More...

20/03/2007
Living with climate change in the Fens More...

19/03/2007
Appointment Announcement - The Reverend Kate Peacock More...

16/03/2007
Licensing Details - The Revd Gareth Rowlands More...

15/03/2007
Licensing Details - The Reverend Jim Mynors More...

28/02/2007
Licensing Details - The Reverend Michael Matthews More...

27/02/2007
Appointment Announcement More...

21/02/2007
Challenging Poverty More...

21/02/2007
Appointment Announcement More...

09/02/2007
For England and Saint George More...

08/02/2007
Rave in the Nave 2007 More...

29/01/2007
Chaplaincy to People at Work More...

27/01/2007
Four new Honorary Canons installed More...

22/01/2007
Schools Service Level Agreement More...

12/01/2007
Schools Admissions Guidance Issued More...

11/01/2007
The Young Ones More...

09/01/2007
Website More...

23/12/2006
Former Archdeacon of Ely celebrates 70 years in the ministry More...

18/12/2006
Diocesan Children’s Adviser More...

12/12/2006
Good News for Church Schools in League Tables More...

12/12/2006
Education Sunday materials online More...

07/12/2006
Church of England New Chief Education Officer appointed More...

06/12/2006
December Thoughts by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Willams More...

23/10/2006
Making your voice heard More...

21/10/2006
Diocesan Fresh Expressions Advisor licensed More...

15/10/2006
81 Lay Ministers commissioned More...

09/10/2006
Appointment of four new Honorary Canons More...

30/09/2006
New lay minsters licensed More...

27/09/2006
High Sheriff’s Justice Service More...

02/09/2006
Downham Market High School More...

29/08/2006
Bishop supports CEN Hospice at Home campaign More...

18/08/2006
England’s first vicar sub-postmaster? More...

03/08/2006
John Eddy More...

13/07/2006
Archdeaconry of Cambridge More...

01/07/2006
Clergy numbers in Ely Diocese boosted More...

24/06/2006
Diocesan Schools Team posts More...

23/06/2006
Resignation of the Revd John Coombs More...

16/06/2006
Diocesan website wins national award More...

14/06/2006
Recent appointments and departures More...

12/06/2006
new Priest-in-Charge for Stanground More...

05/06/2006
Departure of the Reverend Anne Haselhurst More...

20/04/2006
New Chaplain among Deaf People More...

20/04/2006
Networking among Faith Groups More...

19/04/2006
Low flying Screaming Swift Survey More...

16/04/2006
The Bishop of Ely's Easter sermon More...

07/04/2006
Retirement of the Revd Frank Fisher More...

03/04/2006
Imagine! -- an outdoor children's party at Anglesey Abbey More...

02/04/2006
Appointment of Diocesan Fresh Expressions Advisor More...

31/03/2006
Ground-breaking appointment for fresh approaches to Christian mission and ministry More...

30/03/2006
Licensing of new Curate for East Leightonstone Group More...

30/03/2006
Licensing of new Assistant Priest for Haddenham and Wilburton More...

20/03/2006
Licensing of new Area Dean of Cambridge Deanery South More...

14/03/2006
New Secondary School for Downham Market More...

01/03/2006
Church schools affirm broadening RE teaching More...

01/03/2006
new Area Dean of Cambridge Deanery South More...

01/03/2006
2005 Annual Report on the diocesan schools' work More...

01/03/2006
'See It Like It Is' photo exhibition More...

10/02/2006
Institution of new Vicar of the East Marshland Benefice More...

06/02/2006
St Mary's, Godmanchester More...

06/02/2006
new Priest-in-Charge of St Mark's, Newnham More...

02/02/2006
Oarsmen celebrate historic link with Church More...

30/01/2006
Diocese launches Lent Appeal 2006 to support AIDS victims in Vellore More...

23/01/2006
Licensing of new Priest-in-Charge of Great Gransden with Abbotsley & Little Gransden and Waresley More...

05/01/2006
new Chair of the Diocesan Children's Council More...

04/01/2006
Church thefts More...

17/11/2005
Churches embrace new hi-tech opportunities with their latest website More...

27/10/2005
Local Ecumenical Partnership with North Elbe parish More...

 
 
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Home > News & Events > Media Tips > Writing a Press Release > What is Newsworthy
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What is Newsworthy?

Before you even begin to write, think of your readers and remind yourself for whom you are writing and what makes your announcement a good news story. The essential element of a story is of course, that it is new!

The ingredients of a ‘good’ news story

  • News is about necessary information and unusual events
  • It will obtain observable facts
  • News should be free of the reporters opinion
  • A news story should be succinct but also colourful
  • It must be interesting.

So you think most news is bad news? Well, no: professional journalists are not all cynics simply looking for bad stories. News is about the unexpected. We all hope for good news; it's when things take a surprise turn - for good or for the worse, that they become news. So what makes a 'good' story?

Here's what journalists mean by 'good': a good story will interest its readers.

What makes a story interesting?

  • Impact or broad appeal: events that affect many people – the more it affects the better the story. A proposed income tax increase, for instance, has impact, because it will affect a lot of people.
  • Timeliness or immediacy: news gets out of date quickly; it's timely if it happened recently. "Recently" is related to the publication cycle of the news medium in which the information will appear. On BBC News 24 events that happened during the past half hour are timely. In your monthly parish magazine events that took place over the past 30 days are timely.
  • Prominence: stories involving well-known places, companies, groups or people, especially celebs.  If you or I trip and fall in church, no one will take much interest, because we aren't well known. But if the Archbishop of Canterbury trips and falls during a service, that's a news story.
  • Proximity or closeness to home: events occurring in the newspaper circulation area or the broadcast area are likely to be of most interest. 2,000 job losses in Taiwan won't get a mention. 20 redundancies in Cambridge may well make the front page of the local paper. The success of your summer fête will be an essential story for your parish magazine.
  • Conflict: stories about people or organisations at odds with each other. Information has conflict if it involves some kind of disagreement between two or more people. Conflict has drama.
  • Bizarre or out-of-the-ordinary: what deviates sharply from what you would expect and experience of everyday life, unusual, strange or wacky. 
  • Currency or flavour of the month: events and situations that are currently in the news and being talked about.
  • Human interest: people are interested in people, so personalise your story.
  • About people’s everyday problems or interests: food, health, housing, schools, work, money problems. 

An interesting news story will contain some of these elements, but it’s unlikely it will contain them all.   However, all stories should be accurate and truthful. 

So do you have a story to tell the press?

Remember the old adage attributed to the famous New York Sun editor, Charles A. Dana. "If a dog bites a man, that's not news", because it happens so often, "but if a man bites a dog, that's news!" These stories chronicle the events that raise eyebrows, grab people’s attention and often make the front page.  Sometimes religion features in these stories.

Be careful with the "conflict" stories. Church leaders, like politicians, frequently debate their differences publicly.  Clergy are, unlike their business and commercial counterparts, free to air widely their views and beliefs in the media.  But that makes the Church vulnerable to damaging press stories.  And a journalist, hungry for sensationalism, may be tempted to present such harmless dialogue as ‘the Christian Church tearing itself apart’.  Is that the image you want to convey? If not, take care when you speak out. 

In practice, many newspaper stories are not over-hyped, particularly in the category of business, technical and scientific news. 

The churches also have a wealth of interesting everyday stories that can generate good publicity for their cause.   Local press and radio are hungry for news of events, appointments, fundraising appeals and anniversaries.  The national press often publishes strong, but sound opinion features, such as the merits of Government action or social policies.  

So my advice is to be pro-active and to keep in touch with the media whenever you feel you can.  If you don’t use the media, it will use you. 

© Owen Spencer-Thomas

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