Lots of aerospace and aviation businesses would like to have more media coverage, but are sometimes unsure or confused about what makes an item newsworthy. 

Let's be clear: editors want your legitimate news. They are much less enthusiastic about pitches that are clearly self-promotional and don’t tell them anything new or important. In order to know what makes a story newsworthy, you need to have a good understanding of what news really is.

"News" must meet one or both of these criteria:

1. Newly received or noteworthy information, especially about recent or important events.

2. Information not previously known to someone.

In general, news is anything that is new, recent, important, unique, special, one-of-a-kind, or first. Make sure your story is credible, specific and supported by facts and data. Here are suggestions for identifying newsworthy activities at your company.

1. When something is new.

• New certification (Product STC)
• New market (First fleet sale in a specific region, or a strategic decision to pursue a new market segment)
• New product, service or technology; patents
• New building or significant relocation
• Changes, enhancements or upgrades to existing products (Service life extension, increased performance, breakthrough use of a new material, etc.)

2. When you achieve something important and/or are recognized for it.

• Important company milestone (50-year anniversary)
• Important product milestone (1,000^th delivery; 10 years in operation; one million accident-free hours)
• Previously unpublished findings of a successful test, study, or research (Any objective evidence that shows you have a superior offering)
• Awards or other significant recognition
• Notable sales and contract awards (It’s essential to provide specifics—how much, how many, etc.)
• Customer success story (Must be supported by specifics and connect directly to your product)

3. When there is a significant change to your business or organization.

• Acquisition of a business
• Company or important product name change or rebranding
• Executive appointments and management changes
• Company reorganization
• Partnering with another business or organization

4. When something is timely and/or trending.

• Taking a public position on an important subject within the industry and speaking out about it for the first time in a unique way (A regulation change or user fees)
• Link to a significant current event or trend (Reducing costs of a government program or a decision to stop outsourcing work outside the U.S.)
• Hosting webinars, seminars or an event. Speaking at a conference or event
• Notable appearance or activity at an industry event (Beyond “we will be attending.” Should include a unique aspect such as an important or debut product demo, first public appearance of a product, or similar)
• Charitable contributions, sponsorships
• Special offers or promotions

We believe this is the era of Public Relations. Working with the media requires specialized skills and knowledge. This exclusive PR Toolkit will help you avoid common missteps and work more effectively with the aerospace and defense news media.