Have you heard the expression “flood the zone with sh*t”? It was the media blueprint penned by former chief strategist to Donald Trump, Steve Bannon. Designed to manipulate the news cycle, drown out the noise, obscure the truth and destroy credibility. Adopted in 2016, ten years on the tactic has really moved into high gear.
At the time of writing, Donald Trump has announced a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, is beefing with the Pope and posted a depiction of himself as the Messiah.
It is wall to wall coverage of Trump or Trump-adjacent news that has a distinctly apocalyptic flavour. So how do you break through in this hyper-saturated, highly charged media environment?
The news cycle moves faster than ever; journalists are doing more with fewer resources. If you want your pitch to resonate with the newsroom, you need to stand out.
These tips will help your pitch rise above the competing voices:
Be quick, but clear:
What was relevant in the morning, might be out of date by the afternoon. So, immediacy and agility are just as important as bringing expertise and authority. Be clear and simple, use your expertise to distil your complex ideas into something that is easy to understand the first time it is heard or read.
Audience-first story telling:
Your expertise and credibility are the reason your voice should be included, but editors want to know if people will click, read or watch, so lead your pitch with an angle that will resonate with the audience. Explain what impact the unfolding crisis will have on the publication’s audience, from your particular point of view. Establish an emotional connection and then follow up with the data.
Have a point of difference:
Look for the gaps in the coverage and consider how you can attach your expertise to the unfolding narrative. What hasn’t been spoken about so far? Don’t just echo the news – analyse, interpret, unpack. Does it affect the viewer at home in a way they hadn’t considered before?
Lead with a headline:
A sharp, compelling idea is going to capture attention better than your credentials. So, lead with a clear hook. To do this, try to come up with a headline that the newsroom would likely use to entice viewers to want to know more. Don’t give it all away, give people a reason to want to read further. If you don’t know how to formulate a headline, look to the current news bulletins and newspapers.
Go local:
The big picture has been covered extensively. But what about at a grass-roots level? Can you find a unique local angle with real human impact? This will be more relevant to the newsroom’s audience than more analysis of the over-arching story.
Offer a light alternative:
The news cycle is exhausting. It hasn’t let up since COVID hit. The newsroom walks a delicate line of keeping people informed without driving them away with trauma fatigue. That’s where light stories come in. A complete change in tone could be exactly what they’re looking for, so if you can offer some joyful news amongst the doom, now may just be the time to put it in front of the decision makers in the newsroom.
The world will continue to hang off every move Donald Trump makes, and his antics will continue to ‘flood the zone.’ But there is still room for your voice to be heard, you just have to know how to convince the newsroom gate-keepers that you’re worth listening to.
By Simone Kerr, Media Engagement Manager at Media Stable.
