Brand journalism tips from the Metropolitan State University of Denver

Jim Ylisela is the co-founder and senior partner at RCG. He loves building better newsrooms and writers. 

Yeah, you read that right. No more press releases.

Communicators at Ragan’s Future of Communications conference last month asked about that question twice just to make sure. Laura Miller, the managing editor of RED, the brand journalism platform for the Metropolitan State University of Denver, answered “yes” both times.

Telling your own story is the essence of brand journalism. Laura joined me on stage to show how organizations can boost their brand and reputation through better storytelling, improved media placements and a broader reach.

In our 75 minutes, we fielded more than a dozen questions and talked with more communicators after the session. Here are some of our answers, with a few bonus tips thrown in for good measure.

1. About that press release thing. How did you convince your leaders to do that?

Here’s the simple answer: Prove that you’re better off without them. Press releases are a poor substitute for actual stories, but organizations are addicted to issuing them, no matter how formulaic or boring, because they’re safe. (How often have you heard, “We’ve always done it this way.”)

RED proved otherwise, replacing the university’s press releases with stories. Media placements soared, up 90% since 2018. Laura and her team also track newsletter subscribers, website traffic, social engagement and YouTube watch times.

Measurement matters. If you’re arguing for a better newsroom, don’t just tell me. Show them.

2. How can you scale this kind of program up to larger media contacts who say they won’t touch your content if it’s already published?

Media organizations used to say that, but few are saying it these days. They crave content, and with cutbacks and consolidation, they can’t get enough of it. If you produce a good story that suits them, they’ll use it. And let’s be clear: They don’t need to run your story as is, though many do. They can modify it or fold your information into a bigger story. You don’t really care. Mission accomplished.

That’s not to say The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal won’t demand an exclusive. Where’s the problem? Give them the first look at your brand journalism story!

3. How can I build a brand newsroom if I am a team of one or two? I can’t write weekly stories and have nowhere to publish them.

The short answer: One story at a time. We helped MSU Denver build its first brand journalism platform in 2018, trained their writers and then assisted them in 2021 to create the refreshed site they have today.

It takes time, planning and measurement. Success breeds success. Write some good stories that get noticed and you can make a better argument for hiring another writer, building a better online newsroom or refining your news operation. It’s less about quantity than quality. When the bosses see what good storytelling can do, they’ll want more of it.

Run your newsroom for what you aspire it to be, not just for what it is now.

4. How do you maintain media relationships when you’re no longer pitching in the same way?

We call it media relations for a reason. The meatier the story, the more you have to offer reporters hungry for good content. RED’s approach has created a better, more balanced relationship with journalists.

Tim Carroll, MSU Denver’s media pro, knows them all. He calls them to talk about upcoming stories and they ask him about topics they’re interested in covering. He brings that intel to the RED weekly news meeting.

5. Where do all those stories come from?

What makes RED run is a great mix of stories, vetted by the team at their weekly pitch meeting.

Some stories come to the news team from university leaders and faculty. Those used to be boring press releases. Today, the writers turn that information into stories that tap into what reporters are looking for: news and trends of interest to their audiences.

Most important, the staff writers at RED cover beats. That means developing sources within the school and talking with them regularly, even when they’re not on deadline. They are required to produce at least two viable pitches a month from their beats.

A few more tips from RED’s experience:

• Decide what will give you the biggest bang for your buck. In its first iteration, RED tried to be all things to all audiences: faculty news, student life and news about Denver, among other areas. After some additional analysis, the team decided that RED’s primary focus was the news media. If they could reach journalists, their stories would reach more people and have greater impact. And that’s exactly what has happened.

• No more silos. In too many organizations, external and internal comms are still separated by a not-so-invisible wall that no longer makes any sense, if it ever did. The RED news team plans and produces content for internal and external consumption, including department websites and the alumni magazine.

• Think of stories as packages. In their weekly news meetings, the RED team isn’t just deciding on stories.

They’re thinking about the best way to present the stories to different audiences. In addition to good writing, RED boasts terrific photography and video, and social media is part of story planning, not just a side note. (Many reporters get their leads from social postings.)