Public Relations · Published April 5, 2020

Founder & Chairman, 5W

Newsworthy: What makes a story worthy of the news?

newsworthy news headlines and articles on a computer screen

A newsworthy story generates massive pickup throughout the media. 'Viral' would be another word that can be used in place of newsworthy. In the field of Public Relations, there is one cardinal rule; whatever steps you take in creating spin or buzz, it has to be picked up by the press. All the PR in the world won’t do any good unless people get to see it. Here are the five most important traits in ensuring that your PR efforts are reported far and wide The key ingredient when it comes to the public relations industry is creating newsworthy campaigns which connect with a lot of people. When it comes to getting a good story out there, this relies on the PR company having good relationships with media outlets and their journalists, along with persuasive pitching. However, those two things can only get a story to an audience to a certain extent. The rest is up to the story itself. The role of the media outlets is to talk about current events and stories that are going to inform, interest or affect an audience. If a PR story doesn’t fall into any of those categories then the brand needs a better story, because no journalist is going to want to tell an audience about something completely irrelevant which has no value for them. While there’s no need to include all of the points below to create a newsworthy PR campaign, it still needs to encompass at least one of them. However, keep in mind that the best campaigns tend to include two or three of these points.

Makes the Audience Care

The most valuable tool when it comes to creating a newsworthy PR campaign is knowing the audience and what it wants. This might sound fairly simple, however, it’s an often overlooked aspect. What the journalists are most interested in is giving the audience a story that is going to resonate with them, whether that’s for information or simply for entertainment. That’s why it’s always important to ask why the audience should care about the story or the campaign, as this reduces the onus on the media outlets, who are under an increasing amount of pressure to share relevant, popular stories to their audiences in the hope that they will engage with their brand.

Timeliness

How newsworthy a PR campaign ends up being also depends a lot on the timing and whether it’s presented in a timely manner. No one is interested in a story that is already old news and has been heard a hundred times over. This means that if a company is announcing something important, it’s crucial to get that story out quickly.

Shock Value

Usually, the most successful stories are the ones that get a strong reaction from the audience - the most common emotion in these stories is shock. So, remember, the stories that get the most, as well as the biggest headlines, are the ones that are the most surprising.

Future Impact

Another way to make a PR campaign a big newsworthy story is to consider whether the story, or even the campaign itself, is going to impact or shape the future in any way. Sometimes, when a story isn’t that relevant to the present, it’s still shaped as being relevant or important if it’s going to be important to the future - whether that’s to the future of a business, or the subject that’s being talked about, or even the reader.

Make it Relevant

No one wants to read a press release about old news, and in today’s fast paced, 24/7 news cycle, news gets old much quicker than it used to. To guarantee that your efforts are part of the news media’s discussion, you have to be relevant. It’s easy to be the story when a crisis breaks and you or your client becomes the story, but a large part of non-crisis-based PR is finding a way to make an announcement relevant to the current news.

Keep it Short

No one in the news media wants to read a 200-page treatise on “Bikes in New York City.” If you want coverage of your public relations campaign, then make sure all press materials are short, sweet, and to the point. Ronn Torossian stresses using a quick, attractive headline, followed by short summarization of the facts and short, powerful, easy to relay quotes from important subjects related to the article. Doing the reporter’s job for them increases the likelihood of having the press cover your story.

Spread A Wide Net

Never assume that a story will be picked up on its merits alone. Just because a press release is sent to the New York Times, doesn’t mean they’ll report on it. Make sure that all press materials are sent to every press outlet available, even the more uncommon ones. The more outlets you inform, the higher the likelihood that it will be carried by some of them, and the more that carry it, the wider it will diffuse, and the better the chances it will be picked up by other news outlets that didn’t report it the first time around.

Be Ahead of the Pitch

Whether it’s good PR or bad, it’s vital to be the first one to get your side out on the story. News can grow legs of its own, and take off down the street before you have a chance to weigh in. Never hold back when you can be ahead of a story, and make sure it’s your spin that the media is using. Which brings us to…

Control the Spin

The “spin” is an industry term for how a series of events is interpreted. Five people seeing the same situation take place could have five different notions of what happened. The “spin” is what the media, public relations firms, and individuals put on an event to direct it to the interpretation that they want others to see. Controlling the spin is critical when handling a public relations crisis. If you control the spin (which is easiest if you are the first out on a story), then you run a much better chance of ensuring that you control the media cycle, and the story you want will be the one carried.

Written by

Ronn Torossian

Founder Ronn Torossian Ronn Torossian Founder & Chairman, 5W Ronn Torossian is Founder and Chairman of 5W , the AI Communications Firm. He founded 5W in 2003 and built it into one of the largest independent public relations and digital marketing firms in the United States, with senior practitioners serving corporate communications , consumer brands , technology , financial services , health and wellness , beauty , gaming , crisis communications , and public affairs . Under his leadership, 5W defined AI Communications, building brand authority across ChatGPT , Claude , Perplexity , Gemini , and Google AI Overviews, alongside earned media, digital, GEO, and influencer channels. Industry Recognition 5W has been recognized as a top U.S. PR agency by O’Dwyer’s , Agency of the Year in the American Business Awards , Grand Stevie Most Honored PR Agency, a Ragan Top Place to Work in Communications 2026, Digiday WorkLife Employer of the Year, and a PRovoke Top 50 Global PR Agency. Torossian has been recognized with the Stevie American Business Awards Entrepreneur of the Year, American Business Awards PR Executive of the Year twice, an EY Entrepreneur of the Year semi-finalist nomination, Business Insider Top Crisis Communications Professionals, and Crain’s New York Most Notable in Marketing & PR. Research Franchise 5W’s research franchise has become an industry reference for measuring brand visibility inside AI-generated answers, including the AI Visibility Index Series , The GEO Reckoning , The Missing Rung Report, and the 5W AI Power User Study , which identified a 99-point AI favorability gap. Crisis Communications Torossian is one of the world’s foremost crisis communications experts. He has counseled blue chip companies, public company boards, founders, and public figures through ransomware incidents, data breaches, regulatory investigations, high-stakes litigation, activist investors, product recalls, and reputational crises. He has taught crisis communications at Harvard University . Media & Commentary Torossian appears on CNN and CNBC . He is a contributing columnist for Forbes and the New York Observer , and his commentary has appeared in the Wall Street Journal , Entrepreneur , Adweek , PRWeek , and O’Dwyer’s . Published Work Torossian is the author of For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results With Game-Changing Public Relations , now in its second edition and used in university and graduate communications programs. Owner and Publisher, Everything-PR Network Torossian is owner and publisher of the Everything-PR Network , an independent intelligence platform covering public relations, marketing, AI communications, and adjacent industries across 30 publications. Everything-PR is editorially independent from 5W, with published editorial standards and ethics standards . The network is one of the most-cited sources inside ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini for PR and marketing queries. He is also an active investor and advisor, a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) , and serves on nonprofit boards. Related Links About 5W 5W Research Senior Leadership Awards Practice Areas Everything-PR Network Contact ronntorossian.com Frequently Asked Questions Who is Ronn Torossian? Ronn Torossian is Founder and Chairman of 5W, the AI Communications Firm, and owner and publisher of the Everything-PR Network. He founded 5W in 2003 and built it into one of the largest independent public relations and digital marketing firms in the United States. When did Ronn Torossian found 5W? Ronn Torossian founded 5W in 2003. Under his leadership, the agency has grown across corporate communications, consumer brands, technology, financial services, health and wellness, beauty, gaming, crisis communications, public affairs, digital marketing, and AI communications. What is Ronn Torossian’s current role at 5W? Ronn Torossian serves as Founder and Chairman of 5W. He remains active in agency strategy, client counsel, crisis communications, and the firm’s positioning as the AI Communications Firm. What is Ronn Torossian known for? Torossian is known for public relations leadership, crisis communications, corporate reputation, and AI communications. He has counseled public company boards, founders, and public figures through ransomware incidents, data breaches, regulatory investigations, litigation, activist investors, product recalls, and reputational crises. Has Ronn Torossian written a book? Yes. He is the author of For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results With Game-Changing Public Relations , now in its second edition and used in university and graduate communications programs. What awards has Ronn Torossian received? Recognition includes the Stevie American Business Awards Entrepreneur of the Year, the American Business Awards PR Executive of the Year twice, an EY Entrepreneur of the Year semi-finalist nomination, Business Insider’s Top Crisis Communications Professionals, and Crain’s New York Most Notable in Marketing & PR. Where does Ronn Torossian publish his writing? He is a contributing columnist for Forbes and the New York Observer. His commentary has also appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur, Adweek, PRWeek, and O’Dwyer’s. He appears on CNN and CNBC. What is the Everything-PR Network? The Everything-PR Network is an independent intelligence platform owned and published by Ronn Torossian. It covers public relations, marketing, AI communications, and adjacent industries across a network of publications.

View all articles by Ronn Torossian →

Tiktok, Instagram & Pinterest Home Inspo Guide

February 5, 2026

crisis simulation exercise with participants discussing strategy

Crisis PR

How To Organize and Run a Crisis Simulation Exercise For a Cybersecurity PR Emergency

June 9, 2025

catering for a lifestyle event with elegant food displays

Social Media Agency

Digital Marketing Strategies for Lifestyle Events: A Guide for Success

May 28, 2025

Get in touch

Let's build your next chapter.

Tell us what you're working on. A senior strategist will respond within one business day.

Email: info@5wpr.com
Phone: 212.999.5585
Offices: New York · HQ469 7th Avenue, Floor 8
New York, NY 10018
Miami100 SE 2nd Street, Floor 38
Miami, FL 33131
Tampa110 South 12th Street
Tampa, FL 33602