Every day, businesses invest considerable resources crafting press releases about company milestones, product launches, and industry accolades. Yet most of these announcements vanish into the void, attracting little to no attention from journalists and audiences alike. Why? Because they’ve fallen into the most common trap in public relations: assuming that what excites you internally will naturally captivate everyone else.
The Inside-Out Delusion
We’re all guilty of it. When you’ve poured months into developing a new service, or when your team has worked tirelessly to win an industry award, the achievement feels monumental. From your vantage point inside the organisation, it is significant. The problem? The rest of the world doesn’t live inside your business, and what registers as groundbreaking from your desk is often just another trophy on a shelf to the public, unless that award changes their life.
This inside-out thinking explains why so many perfectly competent businesses struggle to secure meaningful media coverage. They’re essentially broadcasting from their own echo chamber, while assuming that because they’re in love with what they do, the wider world is in love with it to.
The Brutal Truth About Newsworthiness
Consider two scenarios that play out repeatedly across industries:
A company receives a prestigious industry award and immediately contacts media outlets, expecting coverage. Whilst the recognition matters enormously to the business and its employees, journalists rightfully ask: why should their readers care? Unless that award comes with tangible benefits—perhaps funding that creates local jobs, or recognition that validates a breakthrough benefiting consumers—it’s simply not newsworthy beyond a brief local mention.
Similarly, launching a new product feels revolutionary when you’re the creator. You understand every innovative feature and improvement. But step outside your perspective: does this genuinely solve a widespread problem? Does it represent a significant leap forward that affects people’s lives? Or is it an incremental update that matters primarily to your sales targets?
Flipping Your Perspective
The solution requires adopting what I call the “sceptical consumer lens.” Imagine you’re an ordinary person scrolling through your news feed over morning coffee. You’re not invested in any particular company’s success. You’re simply looking for information that’s relevant, useful, or genuinely interesting.
Now apply that mindset ruthlessly to your own announcement. Would you pause your scrolling? Would you click through to learn more? Be honest—brutally honest.
The “So What, Who Cares?” Test
Here’s the diagnostic tool that separates newsworthy stories from corporate announcements: apply the brutal “So what, who cares?” test to every piece of information you plan to share.
It sounds harsh, but imagine a sceptical journalist or distracted consumer responding to your announcement with those exact words: “So what? Who cares?” Now answer them. Not from your position as company insider, but as a member of your target audience. What’s in it for them? How does this improve their lives, solve their problems, or provide valuable insight?
This two-part challenge forces you beyond surface-level thinking. “So what?” demands you explain the significance. “Who cares?” requires you to identify the specific audience who benefits. If you find yourself struggling to articulate compelling answers—if your responses sound like marketing jargon or internal corporate speak—that’s your signal. You haven’t yet found the genuinely newsworthy angle, or perhaps one doesn’t exist for this particular announcement.
Make this test your standard filter. Before drafting any press release or pitching any story, subject it to these four unforgiving words: So what, who cares? Your ability to answer convincingly determines whether you’ll secure coverage or join the pile of ignored announcements.
When Self-Assessment Isn’t Enough
Playing devil’s advocate with yourself requires discipline and objectivity that’s genuinely difficult when you’re deeply embedded in your business. Sometimes the most valuable investment is an external perspective, someone who can evaluate your story with fresh eyes and identify the angles that genuinely resonate with audiences rather than just with your board of directors.
The businesses that consistently secure quality media coverage aren’t necessarily doing anything revolutionary. They’ve simply mastered the art of thinking outside-in, leading with audience value rather than corporate pride.