INFORMATION

How to get your press release read (or ignored) by a regional newspaper website

As a former regional newspaper editor, George Oliver (pictured) knows better than most how to get a press release published. Now the owner of Loughborough-based 1284 Ltd, which works with organisations on their communications strategy, media relations and stakeholder engagement, he explains how businesses should approach local and regional journalists in the modern age.

Journalists invariably take a different view as to what constitutes a story than those who send them press releases. This trend has accelerated in the slipstream of the rapid advance of digital technology since the mid2000s.

Put simply, regional newsrooms don’t work like they did 10 years ago. In fact, they don’t work like they did 10 months ago. And they will continue to change.

This is not to say that regional news websites no longer respond to useful press releases. They do. Newsrooms are very collaborative environments – but they’re also fast-moving environments.

We asked two senior editors which submissions catch their eye among the hundreds of unsolicited emails their titles receive each day –as well as what gets ignored.

REMEMBER THAT NEWSPAPERS ARE BUSINESSES

Some people assume newspapers will publish whatever they receive. This is incorrect. Even an “ovenready” press release requires a journalist’s time for uploading and optimisation.

Such time could be spent on either (a) breaking news or (b) producing content that has an obvious large audience.

Submitted content should offer real value. You would not expect your colleagues or clients to engage in activity that ran counter to organisational strategy or which resulted in no benefit.

Don’t expect it of journalists and their readers. Simple stakeholder mapping can address this.

IDENTIFY WHO YOU ARE PITCHING TO

Newsrooms are undergoing almost constant change. This means the staff in newsrooms (and their roles) are changing too.

Don’t send emails to an editor addressed to their predecessor. Don’t send directionless emails to the newsdesk and then repeatedly ring up to confirm receipt.

Instead, research who is the most appropriate person to contact. Allow them time to come back to you. If the story is interesting enough then they will do so.

DON’T TELL JOURNALISTS HOW TO DO THEIR JOBS

There are few things more likely to pique a journalist’s interest than being told “that’s not a story”.

Conversely, there are few things more likely to make a journalist switch off than a stranger telling them they have a great story.

They hear this frequently. Instead, tell your story clearly and succinctly. Display the key detail prominently and in the subject line. Attach contact details, pictures and video. If the story is good enough then it will sell itself.

DON’T PLAY JOURNALISTS OFF AGAINST THEIR COMPETITORS

It doesn’t work. Journalists develop sources from a position of trust. They then return to them.

Consider basic relationship marketing principles: trying to bounce local journalists does not build trust. Relationships take time to establish.

Start by offering a strong exclusive the journalist will remember. But accept their decision-making if they do not use your press release. Attempt to understand their reasoning. Then refine your future output accordingly. Collaborate.

What does the Supreme Court’s Uber ruling mean for the gig economy?

More than 45,000 Uber drivers based in the UK will be entitled to basic employment rights following a unanimous decision by the Supreme Court. Melanie Morton (pictured), legal director in Nelsons’ expert employment team, considers how this landmark ruling will change the gig economy.

Following a long-running legal battle, the Supreme Court ruled that Uber drivers must be treated as workers rather than self-employed under the Employment Rights Act 1996.

Drivers engaged by Uber should now benefit from basic employment rights moving forward –including national minimum wage, rest breaks, sick pay and holiday pay. It’s thought that many workers could be entitled to an average compensation amount of £12,000 each.

However, as a result of the associated additional costs the company will have to pay its drivers, Uber may decide to adapt its current platform. This could see the company reducing the level of control over its drivers, with a view to permitting the drivers more freedom –changing the service so it’s more akin to a genuine self-employed relationship.

The Supreme Court’s ruling could also have big ramifications for employers that engage with people using similar operational methods to Uber on digital platforms, such as Deliveroo and UberEats.

It doesn’t mean everyone who works in the gig economy will now automatically be classified as a “worker” and it will be interesting to see how the reasoning in the judgement is applied to future employment status litigation. As with every employment law case, each one will depend on specific facts relevant to the case.

The Supreme Court decision has opened the door and could potentially lead to similar legal action by an estimated five million people in the UK who work in the gig economy.

They may now be able to use the principles put forward by the Uber drivers to claim they too should be entitled to some basic employment law protection in respect of the holiday pay and national minimum wage.