Maw Comms news

Expert comment PR

News is made up of many different components – most important of all it should contain something ‘new’. But it will also have some facts and figures, some human interest, perhaps elements of conflict, sex, death and money (one of which is rarely far from the surface of most stories) and invariably it will contain expert opinion.

Expert opinion provides the insight and the context for stories. Journalists rely on independent commentators to explain what it all means or to provide an opinion. Often that opinion will represent one side of an argument and another expert will be sourced to balance up the article with a view from the opposing side.

Understanding the basic structure of news is essential if companies are to work effectively with the media. The role of the PR agency is to help companies work with the media and present them and their work in a way that is accessible for journalists and helps them do their job.

Organisations are built on expertise and staffed by experts. In some cases that expertise is unique to that organisation because of the products and services involved. However, in most cases the benefit of the expert commentator for the media does not come from their unique viewpoint, but from the ability to communicate in an effective, timely and insightful way.

Your company may not be the only widget manufacturer in the world but you can still be the first port of call when a journalist is writing about widgets.

The benefits of being an expert commentator in the press can be considerable. It showcases you and your organisation as experts and potentially the leaders in your field. It also helps people see exactly what you do, the issues you are passionate about and the value that you could potentially add.

So how do you become an expert commentator in the press? MAW Communications specialises in running expert commentator PR programmes, so if you want to start making the news, give us call!