Bee Newsworthy
Tuesday, April 28, 2009 at 02:30PM 
This is the conclusion of a four-part series on press release credibility continuing through April. Here are links to the first three parts of this series:
I’ll apologize right away for the conventional and all together uninventive pun. The recent heat wave here in Albany, NY has me - along with everyone else - thinking summer. Enough about my lack of creativity... let’s get down to business.
Earlier this month, I spoke about how credibility is a reflection of the organization sending the press release. Over time, credible press releases will build up the credibility of the organization sending them.
Many businesses, like state organizations and schools, are credible sources of news due to the government topics they cover regularly. However, not every business is afforded this luxury. Most have to earn their credibility by producing newsworthy content on a regular basis. To improve the credibility of your organization, it’s important to be... Newsworthy!
Credibility and newsworthiness go hand-in-hand. As our name implies, we’re all about newsworthy content, which is by definition: timely, important and interesting. These words have been the subheadline for our blog for months. They’ll each take center stage today.
Timely
Timeliness is all about delivering news as it happens. Get your story out to the media while it’s relevant. Don’t put a hot press release on the back burner. Deliver breaking news to media outlets as soon as possible.
You’ll prove to the media you’re a reliable source of news by staying on top of developments in your industry. Journalists will likely turn to with questions about the topic(s) you cover if they are used to seeing information from you when news breaks. This is credibility at its finest.
Important
Make it your goal to only deliver your news to the individuals it is important to. This comes down to targeting media. Don’t overshoot your target audience when you release news. Select specific geographical areas that would logically cover your story. Journalists don't like getting news stories that don't pertain to their coverage area or field of interest. Being selective will help establish you as a credible source of news in newsrooms. Get them accustomed to seeing newsworthy press releases from your organization. It’ll enhance your credibility and have reporters looking forward to your next press release.
Interesting
In the public relations industry, you want to get your news out often. Out of sight means out of mind. However, it’s important to only send press releases when you have news worth reporting. Distribute press releases when you have important and interesting news to announce. If an occasion doesn’t warrant a press release, don’t send one.
If you want a few examples of newsworthy press release items, check out this tip.
As a bonus, here’s a fourth factor of newsworthiness that will help improve your credibility in newsrooms:
Honesty
Always tell the truth in your press releases. Tackle every news story with same honest approach, regardless of whether it’s “good news” or “bad news.” If you're truthful, your credibility will improve with every press release you send. Don’t change your strategy when it comes to releasing “bad news.” You can still get positive publicity out of negative news.
It takes time to build a good reputation in a newsroom. It doesn't happen overnight. You will improve your organization’s credibility by repeatedly releasing timely, important, interesting and honest content.
