An exclusive report is a buzzword used in the PR industry to describe news that one journalist or media outlet receives sole access to before it’s shared with a wider audience. This can be an effective strategy to elevate an announcement and generate interest in a brand, but it requires careful planning, time to secure an embargo period and to create a quality story. It also means that you are only sharing this news with the journalists/media outlets that align with your target audience and goals, that have the capacity to quickly turn around a story, and who you can trust to honor an exclusivity agreement. Batching news or denying another publication the opportunity to have an exclusive can burn bridges and negatively impact your media relations reputation moving forward.
The best way to ensure your exclusive article has the most impact is to start with corroboration. Having multiple independent sources offer the same facts makes the story more authoritative, which will help it stand out from other similar articles in your niche. Having a strong story angle, relevant context and compelling images is also critical. Finally, making sure that your article is a breaking story – it’s not enough to just report on something that has happened, it needs to be a new development that will catch people’s attention and prompt them to share with their own networks.
In addition to a solid news angle, an exclusive report should be accompanied by a clear and concise press release. The release should include: the name of the reporter/media outlet, a short summary of the announcement and a link to where readers can find additional information or download high-resolution images.
About the Author
