Why news monitoring matters

Understanding what’s timely is crucial, if you want a journalist to pick up your story.

It has to resonate with current conversations or upcoming news. Essentially, it needs a ‘hook’. For example, perhaps you want to talk about women in tech – in particular you want to talk about Women Who Code closing down.  Here, the corresponding Reddit posts and Hacker News forums talking about its closure, make for a good hook to raise the story with a publication like Forbes (like our clients HyperionDev and Portia Hickey did).

For those of us in B2B PR, that means getting ahead of tomorrow’s stories and using insights from real people to do so. Enter, news monitoring.

How to monitor the news

Back when I started out in PR, I’d sift through national, international news and niche blogs early every morning to gauge what journalists might write about. And I still do.

But the internet and social media has massively broadened our scope for sourcing news and engaging topics our clients can leverage – beyond just reading the trad news outlets.

We need to know what real people are talking about – and that’s where broader news monitoring comes in.

Go-to resources for keeping a finger on the pulse

logos for the different sources of news useful for PR

The comments

The comment sections in newspapers like the FT provide a treasure trove of insights and future story angles. These commenters are your audience, so their perspectives on stories can offer really valuable ideas for your next story.

Reddit

means Reddit is not just quick with news but also rich with candid insights across countless subreddits. The anonymity drives honesty and is rich with ideas for stories.  

TikTok

TikTok isn’t just about viral dance moves; it’s a starting point for real conversations. Trends on TikTok can be effective hooks for your stories, like our recent focus on children’s online safety tied into the ‘iPad kids’ trend. If there is a topic that keeps coming up, consider whether you can add to the topic or debunk it.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn has become hugely important for B2B PR and thought leadership, as it blends professional business journalism with user-generated content. Spotting trends here, from user posts to LinkedIn-curated newsletters, can offer immediate hooks for B2B topics. We also know that journalists are on there looking for clever people to talk to, so it’s important that our spokespeople are active on the platform.

Newsletters

Newsletters are the new blogs. With media giants and platforms like Substack and Patreon fuelling their rise, niche newsletters curated by expert editors can spark great story ideas. Much like trade publications, they often feature ideas and stories before they make it to national and international media, so it’s important to keep your eye on them.

Talk radio

Tune into talk radio to hear what’s gripping the nation. Shows on BBC Radio 4, LBC, or Talk Radio offer real-time insights into public discourse, making them a fantastic resource for PR hooks. We recommend downloading the BBC Sounds App, as it makes it easier than ever to listen back to the best bits of BBC Radio.

Streaming services

Popular TV shows and documentaries often reflect or set cultural trends. Use these themes as hooks to connect your B2B story to wider public interests. With the rise in documentaries, there is more for B2B thought leaders to comment on than ever before.

How interesting is a story, really?

A key part of gauging whether a story will have national interest is to consider whether it is something you would talk about outside of work. All the sources above help us to understand what real people choose to talk about in their own time. That’s why my media relations team here at Definition keeps on top of all these sources every day, flagging relevant trends and topics to our clients.

Need some help finding the perfect hook?

We’re here to help craft your story with the right angle. Drop us a line. 

Katie Chodosh Screen

Written by Katie Chodosh, Head of Media Relations at Definition.