When I talk to people about creating stories I always ask. “What is your goal?” What are the headlines you want to see? What do you want to happen? What STOPS that from happening? Who are your allies? Who is fighting you?
I worked with two brilliant journalists who have since died. One was a trade press editor. He said there are three stories in the trade press, X vs Y, Poised to explode and Too soon to tell.
He also worked with me when I coached executives to talk to the press. He told them he could tell when they were lying. He used a quote from Emerson,
“Don’t say things. What you are stands over you the while, and thunders so that I cannot hear what you say to the contrary.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
The former financial journalist said you always have to know, “Who is making money and who is losing money.” And, when she couldn’t get the real story because the subject was hiding it, to motivate her to get the story her editor said, “We don’t run puff pieces, not getting the story hurts YOU. Think of it like this, ‘This . . . → Read More: Creating stories that get people to take action
