Amid disaster coverage, media outlets still want ‘lighter’ stories

Don’t put that pitch on hold. Journalists say that in tough times (when the news is all about earthquakes and revolution) their audiences need other content—stories that conjure ‘warm feelings.’

In times like these, there’s a perfectly natural tendency for those in PR to think that softer story pitches, unrelated to ongoing tragedy, are a waste of time.

You might hear someone say: “The media don’t want to hear about Good News Story X now, they’re focused on Japan. Our pitch will fall on deaf ears. Besides, the audience won’t care.”

Though the moral sentiment underpinning this logic comes from a good place, it is misguided thinking.

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