7 - Worked examples
The following examples all derrive from releases issue by the Society. The simplest possible case – an interesting paper with local news value
RESEARCH FINDS SCOTS ISLE PLATINUM RICH
Platinum on the Isle of Rum – a simple release that confines itself to the main bones of the story and does not go into unnecessary scientific detail. External constraints included Scottish Natural Heritage, owners of the land, who wished it to be made clear that mining on Rum was not an option. The release was coordinated with SNH and gained considerable print coverage in the UK.
ARSENIC IN WATER SUPPLY SOLVED BY REMEDIATION IN A BUCKET
The launch of a new scientific journal is of no news interest outside the very specialist field it is intended to serve. However the research it presents, might well be. One paper revealed that using a bucket, a stick and some crushed local rock, poor villagers could remove arsenic from their drinking water at no expense. This release gained considerable coverage in the science and “appropriate technology” press (unfortunately the hotlink to the New Scientist coverage no longer works).
SUPERVOLCANO
Reports to Government can command interest on their own, depending on subject; and one on the danger to civilization posed by super volcanic eruptions would have stood more chance than most. However the Geological Society’s Supereruptions Report was promoted in collaboration with the BBC to give both a greater chance of deeper penetration into the popular media.
Apart from the tie-in, this was a typical covering news release, announcing a major publication. It contains quotes from the two lead authors (written by the press officer from wordier statements in the report and then cleared with them) as well as links to the full online version of the publication. The release also finds room for a bullet point list of the main recommendations of the report’s authors.
This report was published to coincide with the launch of the two-part BBC docudrama Supervolcano, and the combined effect of a) providing a showbiz launch for the film with a legitimate news peg (the report’s publication) and using the BBC’s images and footage to illustrate the story was a winning formula. The combined effort of the two organisations created a whole week of coverage during which the Society’s report was always explicitly mentioned (because it was the main “peg” for the story) but also providing valuable pre-publicity for the BBC film. The combined viewing figures in the UK for film and documentary that followed each episode topped 10 million – a new record.
Previous GSL collaborations with BBC Horizon, in which this model was honed, gave rise to the two top-grossing Horizon documentaries ever – namely Megatsunami! and the forerunner of the supervolcano film, also called Supervolcano! Collaboration and nifty timing can achieve much greater results for less effort.
RESEARCH FINDS SCOTS ISLE PLATINUM RICH
Platinum on the Isle of Rum – a simple release that confines itself to the main bones of the story and does not go into unnecessary scientific detail. External constraints included Scottish Natural Heritage, owners of the land, who wished it to be made clear that mining on Rum was not an option. The release was coordinated with SNH and gained considerable print coverage in the UK.
Launching a journal by highlighting a newsworthy piece of research presented in volume 1
ARSENIC IN WATER SUPPLY SOLVED BY REMEDIATION IN A BUCKET
The launch of a new scientific journal is of no news interest outside the very specialist field it is intended to serve. However the research it presents, might well be. One paper revealed that using a bucket, a stick and some crushed local rock, poor villagers could remove arsenic from their drinking water at no expense. This release gained considerable coverage in the science and “appropriate technology” press (unfortunately the hotlink to the New Scientist coverage no longer works).
Coinciding the launch of a report to Government with media tie-in.
SUPERVOLCANO
Reports to Government can command interest on their own, depending on subject; and one on the danger to civilization posed by super volcanic eruptions would have stood more chance than most. However the Geological Society’s Supereruptions Report was promoted in collaboration with the BBC to give both a greater chance of deeper penetration into the popular media.
Apart from the tie-in, this was a typical covering news release, announcing a major publication. It contains quotes from the two lead authors (written by the press officer from wordier statements in the report and then cleared with them) as well as links to the full online version of the publication. The release also finds room for a bullet point list of the main recommendations of the report’s authors.
This report was published to coincide with the launch of the two-part BBC docudrama Supervolcano, and the combined effect of a) providing a showbiz launch for the film with a legitimate news peg (the report’s publication) and using the BBC’s images and footage to illustrate the story was a winning formula. The combined effort of the two organisations created a whole week of coverage during which the Society’s report was always explicitly mentioned (because it was the main “peg” for the story) but also providing valuable pre-publicity for the BBC film. The combined viewing figures in the UK for film and documentary that followed each episode topped 10 million – a new record.
Previous GSL collaborations with BBC Horizon, in which this model was honed, gave rise to the two top-grossing Horizon documentaries ever – namely Megatsunami! and the forerunner of the supervolcano film, also called Supervolcano! Collaboration and nifty timing can achieve much greater results for less effort.