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Radio is hands down my favorite activity to take part in here in Europeia. I'll jump at the chance to take part in any broadcast, any time (when a Boston sports team isn't playing) and tonight's episode of EuroToday was no exception. I have so much fun doing these shows and there's no way to feel closer to your Euro friends. In the words of my personal hero Austin Powers, International Man of Mystery, "Having said that, I have some thoughts."
Before each EuroToday, a show plan is posted for the benefit of participants and when feedback was asked for earlier this evening, I voiced my concern that it was a bit dry and unfortunately I feel that much of the show ended up being just that. We started off by talking about two or three bits of very straightforward legislative items, subjects that just didn't translate well to a broadcast. At one point, someone commented, "How is this news?" and I was forced to reply, "It isn't."
A lot of us may be under the perception that news is anything that has happened or is happening but the truth of the matter is a bit more complicated than that. Being that part of my job includes earned media, I've sat through countless trainings on this subject so I'd like to share some of what I've learned with you all today in the hope that it will give print editors and Mixlr hosts something to think about as they seek to produce quality content.
In order to determine if something is news, we need to ask ourselves the following questions:
Is it unusual? People are interested in reading about something out of the ordinary. Nobody wants to sit through commentary about an every-day event. If it's different, it's probably news.
Is it timely? Regardless of how interesting an event may be, if it's no longer relevant then it is not news. A weekly broadcast needs to be especially mindful of this.
Is it local? This one doesn't translate quite as well but it still warrants discussion. Your content needs to be linked, in some way, to your audience. Always ask yourself who you're trying to reach with your content.
Is it mysterious? If there's one thing people love to do, it's to wonder. Are there any subjects you can think of that include elements of suspense or uncertainty? Not only is this type of content compelling, it could set you up for a follow-up story.
Is it salacious? Everybody loves dirt. Look for stories that appeal people's need for juicy details, conflict, or scandal.
Keep these questions in mind whenever you're writing in your outlet or planning your latest broadcast. There is news and there is filler and most of us don't have time for the latter. A little extra will go a long way in putting your media contributions over the top!
