Every nonprofit executive wants one thing above all from their communications firm: a front page story in The New York Times about their organization. OK, maybe it’s not always The New York Times, but it’s something splashy. But I have some news for this hypothetical executive: It’s not going to happen just because you want it.

So, you want a national media story?

Here are just a few things that I, your humble communications person, will need to have even a chance of making that a possibility.

Data that Tells a Story

Data, data, data. Journalists love data. But all those numbers are only as good as the story they tell. Your nonprofit may have an original survey, but unless it ties to something in the news and reveals something new and surprising, it’s not going to get a reporter’s attention. Recently, Helen Keller Intl shared a report on   malnutrition levels in Nepal following the end of USAID funding in the country. It wasn’t a surprise that hunger increased in the country following the end of crucial foreign aid. But the levels were noteworthy. It also helped that it was the largest ever survey of its type in the country. All of that added up to an extensive piece in The Guardian.

Compelling Characters

Sometimes all you need is great data to get a national journalist’s attention. Oftentimes, that’s just one layer in the proverbial media lasagna. And what’s a lasagna without cheese? And by cheese, I mean interesting, dynamic characters. Most of the time, these are not people who work directly for your client but are affected by them. They should have a story that makes you want to know more.

When we wanted a story for The Fresh Air Fund, which operates free summer camps in New York, we knew that the ongoing affordability crisis could be a good hook. We found a reporter at The New York Times who wrote a column about how New Yorkers are making ends meet. We pitched her a story about a family of five that earned just $46,000 a year and relied on camp for childcare. With permission from the parents, we shared the family’s income and other relevant financial information and secured a story that centered on the family and our client.

Flexibility

Sometimes the story you want to tell is not the one a journalist wants. When we pitched Great Jobs KC, which provides scholarships to low-income students in Kansas City, for an interview on Good Morning America, it began a lengthy dialogue with the producers. Those conversations led to an idea: What if we could surprise students with $50,000 scholarships? What began as a simple on-camera interview with CEO Earl Martin Phalen morphed into a joyous segment with 150 students and a celebrity guest appearance — Eric Stonestreet of “Modern Family” fame. The lesson? Don’t get too attached to your own ideas. Chances are you are going to have to change course. Also, remember: PR firms can only pitch the story. We can’t control what the journalist wants to do with it.

Accentuate the Positive

“If it bleeds it leads” is a journalism cliché. It also happens to be true most of the time. But when negative news is flooding the headlines, a positive story can stand out. There was definitely a sense of gloominess when the fourth anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic rolled around and every PR firm out there was pitching stories about pandemic learning loss. Rather than focusing on how students were struggling, we invited CBS Evening News into a New York City school to see how City Year New York was making progress in reversing those losses. We put the focus squarely on students and showed how support from our clients’ mentors boosted attendance rates and test scores. 

Sometimes you can get a national story with just one of these elements. Sometimes you’ll need all four. Sometimes all four won’t get that elusive big story, because like anything in public relations, nothing is guaranteed. But one thing I can promise: You won’t get that dream story without at least one.