Radio plays hit songs, magazine covers feature hit topics, and newspaper headlines (usually) focus on popular issues. Networks and streaming services prioritize popular shows. It stands to reason that news organizations should follow suit.
Whether you like them or not, Fox News knows its audience and plays their hits. I’m not sure other news sources are as keenly targeted or adept at guessing what their audience will find interesting. This is one of the many reasons Fox is so dominant. They understand their audience and deliver what they want. Like many national services, they prioritize political talk over information, focusing on airing hit stories. This isn’t just about technology, AI, or audience behavior—hits resonate with audiences.
I recall unsettling moments in newspaper editorial meetings where ideas were tossed around without researching what topics were trending. It was a haphazard approach. We need to combine intuition with data-driven insights specific to our target audience.
While investigative journalism can create hits by uncovering hot topics and valuable scoops, I’m referring to the everyday storytelling and regular content flow.
Like hit songs, stories need strategic targeting. Competitively, having a clear perspective is essential; truth and authenticity within that perspective truly matter.
Next, consider topic testing. Employ modern survey techniques to adjust story visibility based on relevance, monitoring throughout different news cycles.
Reasons for testing include:
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Unlike typical editorial meetings where ideas are casually tossed about, testing provides a powerful tool to identify the most relevant stories for your audience, ensuring the right stories are produced at the right time.
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The fast pace of news today demands ongoing, specific data about stories.
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Testing helps mitigate ‘news ego,’ which may not always align with our mission.
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It guarantees topic superiority minute by minute.
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It pinpoints stories that are direct hits with YOUR target audience.
Ultimately, it’s about combining journalistic intuition with structured insights from your target, resulting in a straightforward yet effective strategy: Airing the stories that are hits with your target—hit stories.
