10 places to find the best news hooks
I've talked about news hooks before - what they are, why they work and how to find them - but I wanted to go into a bit more depth about where you can look for them, as I know some of you have struggled to find strong ones in the past.
News hooks are an essential part to pitching. They answer the all-important ‘why now?’ question - the one that you need to answer to justify why a journalist should write the piece and the one they need to answer to their editor.
Speaking from experience, when I pitch an idea, I always make sure there’s a strong news hook attached, but it is the main element that can really make a difference between a yes and a no.
I want you to think of it as providing evidence for why the audience would have an appetite for the story.
Because, as I’ve said before, a journalist’s main goal is always to provide value to their audience, so if you can show that your idea will do that, you’re onto a winner.
So, without further ado, here are 10 places to find good news hooks for your pitches.
1. Current events
Whatever’s happening in your industry, you need to stay on top of it. I’m talking reading the news and tracking what's happening. In particular, look for breaking news stories that you can provide a new insight or different point of view on.
2. Social media
Keep an eye on social media trends, hashtags, and discussions to see what people are talking about. There are some weird things going on out there in the wacky world of social media and the big trends and discussions that are happening are typically a good way to gauge how people’s opinions or views are developing. TikTok in particular can provide some incredible hooks - just take a look at any women’s lifestyle title website and you’ll see that these are used in several stories.
3. Industry publications
Look, I get that this sounds dry, but hear me out. Reading industry publications, blogs and newsletters is a great way to stay up-to-date on news and trends in your field. This can help you identify stories that are relevant to your expertise.
4. Government agencies
Similarly, these might seem dry, but it’s worth keeping an eye on government agency websites (for example, business related ones) for news and updates on policies and regulations that could impact your industry - this is a great way to get ahead of the curve and be seen as a thought leader on any new developments.
5. Surveys and polls
Journalists absolutely love fresh statistics or data - they’re always on the lookout for those that haven’t been widely shared before. If you have access to this, or can conduct your own, you have the opportunity to provide fresh insights. If you do decide to create your own, make sure to use a reputable survey hosting site and spend some time researching how to create one that’s effective and accurate.
6. Research studies
This is really similar to number 5, but there are slight differences. Research can offer a larger context for data, sharing insights into behavioural and attitude trends that might not have been explored before.
7. New TV shows/ films
When a new TV show or film comes out and it’s hugely popular, it’s usually because it explores an issue that’s relevant to today’s society or includes themes that we all connect with or have in common. If you’ve noticed that in the latest series of a hit TV show that there’s a storyline relevant to your industry, use it.
8. Celebrities doing things
We all know that celebrities get a lot of air time in the media, so if you can find a way to hook your pitch to them, it will usually increase its chances of being chosen. People have such polarised feelings and opinions about what celebrities say and do, so there’s always so much scope for debate. Another caveat here, though, I’d always encourage you to only use celebrities as news hooks if you’re going to say something to expand the conversation in a meaningful way. Celeb bashing for the sake of it is not something I’m into, so would never advocate doing that.
9. Big calendar dates
We talked about awareness days and how to use them earlier this year in some depth, but just mentioning them here again- they can provide a good news hook if you have an original point of view to share. For example, don’t be the millionth person to pitch a journalist a pancake recipe on pancake day (you get me?).
10. Other media pieces
This all feels a bit meta, doesn’t it? But looking at the way the media is talking about something that’s relevant to your industry is a good way to gather data and provide an opportunity for another point of view to be shared in your pitch. My latest column for The Media Leader (which I’ve shared in the My News section) is a good example of this. In it, I write about the tendency for articles written about women to be sexist.
