Hit or miss: what makes a story stand out in today’s crowded media landscape?

The online media landscape is becoming increasingly challenging to navigate – both for readers and for PR professionals trying to get their stories published.

At Limitless PR, our specialists focus on what makes a story stand out to journalists. With news platforms under pressure, they’re more selective than ever about the content they run. To cut through the noise, a story must grab attention, add value, and be truly irresistible to the media. That means crafting narratives that are timely, relevant, and backed by compelling insights. 

Four communications specialists from Limitless Public Relations explore what makes a story a PR hit – what grabs attention, adds value, and makes it irresistible to the media.

Greg Wilson, director, said:

“Know your audience. Read the publications where you want to get the story published and make sure the story fits with their news agenda and format. Write the story as close as possible to the exact house style of your target media to make it as easy as possible for the journalist to pick it up. It should be possible for them to simply cut and paste the article if they want to. 

“Also, remember the power of photography. A great picture that brightens up the page will make the story much more attractive. Your photo should tell the story itself, as much as possible.”

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Associate director Mark Sutcliffe emphasises the importance of asking the right questions when evaluating a story’s potential:

“A strong PR story answers key questions: What’s happening? Why is it important? Why now, especially for news-focused publications? What impact does it have on the wider community or sector, and what are the potential consequences? 

“Alongside this, providing a pre-digested, social media-friendly shareable – whether an image, video, or concise one-line summary – can make a story more appealing and easier for journalists to run with. In the past, this would have been called a standfirst, but today, it’s about creating content that is instantly engaging across multiple platforms.”

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Justin Strong, associate director at Limitless, said:

“Keep it short and simple: tell the ‘story’ in the subject bar on your email, the headline of your press release, and the first three paragraphs. Everything after that, including quotes, supports and embellishes your key messages. 

“Never, ever start a quote with “We’re delighted…” It’s a statement of the bleedin’ obvious! And some publications won’t publish quotes that begin with this opening.”

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Claire Stephenson, associate director at Limitless Public Relations, said:

“When crafting a press release, ask yourself: is it adding value or just adding to the noise? The world doesn’t need more content for the sake of it; it needs content that matters. Just because something is interesting to you doesn’t mean it will be newsworthy to a journalist! 

“To increase your chances of coverage, take the time to read the publication you’re pitching to and understand the topics the journalist actually covers. A well-targeted, relevant story stands a far better chance of making an impact than a generic pitch hurled into the void.”

Only the most compelling stories make an impact in a world overflowing with content. To cut through the noise, your narrative must not only grab attention but also add real value, making it impossible for the media to ignore. That’s where we come in. With a deep understanding of what drives engagement, we craft timely, relevant, and insight-led stories that get noticed. 

If you’re looking for extra power in your campaigns, contact us here for a chat. We’d love to help you take your communications to the next level.