Media relations / Practical playbook
From company announcement to media story
Find the news in your announcement and give a journalist the material to assess it. Includes a sample investment announcement and a structure for the media pitch.
One9Six / Working notes
Build a story a journalist can verify
An announcement describes what the organisation wants to say. A story explains why someone outside it should care. Construct the media pack around a specific change, its consequences and accessible evidence. Separate confirmed facts from projections and company opinion.
| Focus | Record | Practical check |
|---|---|---|
| News angle | What changed, for whom and why now | Test whether the opening still matters without promotional adjectives |
| Evidence pack | Dated figures, methodology, images and source contacts | Give context for investment, employment and market comparisons |
| Spokesperson | Approved position, likely questions and boundaries | Prepare candid answers to difficult questions, not only a launch quote |
Apply this to your next project
- Confirm publication permissions and any embargo explicitly.
- Track accuracy, message inclusion and audience relevance alongside coverage count.
- Correct material inaccuracies through a clear, documented process.
Make it practical
A useful place
to start.
Use this guide with the colleagues involved in the work. Note what you know, what needs checking and who will take the next step.
Download PDF- Start with the change. Write down what is happening, what is already confirmed and who outside the company is affected. An investment, product or appointment is the raw material. Its consequences give the story relevance. If those consequences are unclear, gather more information before pitching.
- Separate fact, intention and interpretation. A signed lease is a fact. Planned recruitment is an intention until the roles are approved and opened. A claim of market leadership needs a defined market, date and reliable comparison. Keep these distinctions in both the press material and the spokesperson brief.
- Develop an angle for each relevant beat. A business editor may examine investment and market implications. A technology reporter may need the engineering remit. A local journalist may ask about employment and facilities. Adapt the entry point while preserving the same facts and avoiding unsupported promises.
- Build a compact evidence pack. Prepare a dated fact sheet, an approved quotation, the relevant background, useful visuals and answers to difficult questions. Identify who can verify every material claim. Remove superlatives that the evidence cannot support.
- Pitch the story, not the press release. Lead with the development, explain its relevance to that journalist and offer specific evidence or access to an informed spokesperson. Research the outlet and recent coverage. A concise, relevant approach is more useful than a large undifferentiated mailing list.
- Prepare for scrutiny. Rehearse questions about timing, scale, funding, previous commitments and what remains uncertain. Give the spokesperson an approved answer or a clear commitment to check. Agree who handles corrections and additional information. Editorial judgement remains with the journalist.
- Coordinate the release. Align the website, internal announcement, social channels and spokesperson availability. Confirm any agreed timing directly with the recipients concerned. Check that every channel uses the same figures, dates and relationship descriptions.
- Evaluate against the objective. Review factual accuracy, message inclusion, relevance of outlets and the audience reached. Distinguish published coverage from changes in understanding, trust or enquiries. These require separate evidence. Record what the coverage clarified and what questions remain unresolved.
The method in practice
Worked example: announcing an engineering hub
Illustrative scenario. No client, investment figure or achieved result is represented.
Starting brief
A technology company plans to establish an engineering hub in Greece. It has approved the location and technical remit. Recruitment timing and team size are still being finalised.
Weak angle
“A leading innovator is transforming the future with a landmark investment.” The statement provides neither a defined development nor evidence for its importance.
Stronger angle
“[Company] plans a Greek engineering hub focused on [approved technical remit].” The briefing explains which product work will be based there, why the location was selected and which milestones are confirmed. Unapproved hiring numbers stay out.
Pitch structure to reuse
Development: what is confirmed. Relevance: why it matters to this readership. Evidence: the fact sheet and supporting material. Access: who can answer substantive questions. Timing: when the information and spokesperson are available.