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PRs: When to call a national news desk

When conducting a PR sell-in to national newspapers – timing is everything.

I am always surprised by the number of PRs who call news desks and send press releases through late in the day.

If you are a PR with what you believe to be a newsworthy story – you need to let news desks know about it BEFORE they start putting the paper together.

Here’s how it works – and some tips:

Daily newspapers are a blank canvas at 6.30am. Between 6.30am - 9.30am - News Editors and Assistant News Editors are busy compiling the news list which contains the top 12 - 15 stories of that day.

So as a PR – if it’s a belter - you really need to be calling around this time.

While the list is being compiled, big stories often break. These could be anything - an arrest in a murder case, a bomb blast - a plane crash which has claimed the lives of British holidaymakers.

Breaking news means the news list needs a re-think – and while news desk staff are on the phone trying to get more detail, the News Editor will be busy adjusting his list to include the late-breaking story.

The task of compiling a credible, hard-hitting news list is a tough one. There is very little time and the phone is ringing constantly.

Who else is ringing news desks at this time in the morning?

The paper's district reporters will be ringing in with the best stories from their news patches. These lists can often have ten or more stories on.  In addition, news agencies are calling in to notify the desks of stories they are covering on that particular day. Then there are the punters. Some have “tips” on world exclusive stories. Many ring with queries about stories, products or adverts which have appeared in the paper.  Some just want a chat – unbelievably.

This is what you are competing with, and why you may receive a frosty response. But if you can envisage your story within that publication (never call a news desk with a story you don’t believe in) this is the time to ring.

Once you’ve got through to the desk, remember to keep it short and concise. Don’t over sell it. Ask if it’s one for them. Ask how they’d like to receive it. Be realistic. Don’t call back to ask if they received it. Know who you are phoning to speak to – for example if you’re ringing The Sun – don’t ask to speak to their Environmental Editor.

When the news list is complete, stories are presented by the News Editor to the Editor during conference which is between 10.30am and 11.30am every day.

Most of the stories which have been mentioned by the News Editor in conference will be set as page leads - the main story on a page. So stories which arrive after conference have to be good.

At this point in the day (after about 12.30pm) there is very little point in calling a news desk with a PR story - or sending through a press release for the next day’s publication. It would have to be something pretty special.

What usually happens is that late-filed stories are given smaller 'shows', built around the main stories, i.e sticks, nibs and spots etc.

So as a PR - if you’re calling a news desk late- even with a half decent story - you are risking losing out on what could potentially have been page-lead coverage for your client.