As a cub reporter on a local paper, I was once tasked with judging a readers’ gardens’ competition.
I mention that not to brag about my illustrious journalism career but to note there was once a time, not so long ago, when such a story was considered newsworthy.
This was a time when an actual newspaper was still being sold for actual money, and read by thousands of actual people.
This formula was adapted, less profitably, for the internet but essentially remained unchanged until around time of the pandemic.
An industry already in financial crisis went into freefall as advertising revenue shuddered to a stop.
Local news had to evolve or die.
When I started Arthur Communications around ten years ago, local papers were more than happy to run any story, regardless of news values.
It was only filling up space online, what was the harm?
In fact, we were so successful other schools started complaining about the amount of coverage our clients were receiving.
Fast forward a decade and the game has changed.
Journalists now tell me that every story they now post online is monitored for hits and the time people spend on the page.
If it is not likely to get hits, it doesn’t go up. Bad news for stories about readers’ gardens’. Good news for stories about poor hygiene ratings at local restaurants
When schools come to me with a story idea, we now must work a lot harder to find a fresh, engaging angle.
The bar for coverage, even in the local press, is higher but so is the engagement.
A really engaging story has a significantly bigger impact on reputation, and not just because it draws a larger audience.
It also acts as marker; communicating your values as a school and leaders in a bold impactful way.
If you would like to make a splash in your community, book a discovery today: tom@arthurcomms.co.uk
Meanwhile, please have a look at the press section of our website for examples of our work.