In our perfect pitch session a few weeks ago we learned the 7 components of news. They are as follows:
1. Proximity
2. Timeliness
3. Human interest
4. Conflict
5. Eminence/Prominence
6. Consequence
7. Visuals
If a PR person were pitching a story about a new J Crew to the NYT, it might seem like a stretch to expect anything. After all, it's 1. A national company 2. Ongoing 3. Not that interesting 4. Conflict-free 5. Not important 6. Of no consequence to the nation and 7. Not that aesthetically interesting (unless you really like sweater racks).
BUT hey, sometimes a story gets an awesome placement for no apparent reason! Instead of envying this lucky PR professional, I like to see it as a sign: sometimes you never know what a phone call will get you.
