News coverage is the attention given to a person, brand, or event by media outlets (print, broadcast, online). It can also include reviews and articles. Regardless of the form, news coverage influences the public’s perception and awareness of an issue.
Getting your company in the news can help with recruiting efforts, business development, and community awareness. It also gives you a top-of-mind presence that is more effective than an ad. Often, people are more likely to trust companies that are featured in the news and can make purchasing decisions based on this information.
Journalists are tasked with covering the “Five Ws”: who, what, when, where and why. They are also expected to be unbiased and avoid sensationalism. They have limited time and space, so they must make judgment calls about which stories to prioritize and what topics to cover. Additionally, journalists must be able to provide the information they need quickly and accurately.
Participants in our research discussed how personal relevance is important when they consider what is newsworthy. For example, one participant described how she felt that a local traffic update from a fellow member of her Facebook community group was newsworthy because it had impact on her life and she recognized the poster. In contrast, she didn’t view celebrity stories or videos of animals as newsworthy content. In addition, participants were more likely to see political stories as newsworthy than lifestyle posts or memes. Ultimately, the definition of news is fluid and is determined by each individual.