Earned Media Process — Step 01
Story Mining
Journalists do not want to write about your company. They want to write about ideas, trends, data, and human stories that their readers care about. Story mining is the process of finding those angles inside your business — and turning them into pitches that editors actually open.
What journalists actually want
The Difference Between a Press Release and a Story
Most businesses approach PR by writing about themselves: 'Company X announces new product Y.' This is not a story. It is an advertisement. Journalists receive hundreds of these every day and delete them without reading past the subject line.
A story is something different. It is a data point that reveals a trend. It is a founder's experience that illustrates a broader cultural shift. It is a contrarian perspective on a widely held industry belief. It is a behind-the-scenes look at how something works that most people have never seen. These are the angles that get placed — not because they promote your business, but because they genuinely interest the journalist's audience.
Story mining is the structured process of finding these angles inside your organization — through interviews with your team, analysis of your data, and a deep understanding of what the publications and podcasts on your target list are currently covering.
Story angles that get placed vs. those that don't
Data that reveals a counterintuitive trend in your industry
A founder's experience that illustrates a broader cultural shift
A contrarian perspective on a widely held industry belief
Behind-the-scenes expertise that most people have never seen
"Company X announces new product Y"
"We are excited to share that our company has achieved..."
Story angle framework
The Six Story Angles That Generate the Most Earned Media Placements
After placing hundreds of stories for Los Angeles businesses across legal, medical, technology, real estate, and entertainment verticals, we have identified the six story angles that consistently generate the most placements. Every story mining session is structured around finding which of these angles exists inside your business.
Original Data & Research
Proprietary data that reveals something about your industry that no one else can see. Client data, survey results, internal benchmarks — anything that lets you say "according to our data..." with authority. This is the highest-placement-rate story type.
Contrarian Perspective
A well-reasoned argument against a widely held belief in your industry. "Everyone says X, but here's why that's wrong." Journalists love contrarian angles because they generate engagement and debate — but the argument must be substantive, not just provocative.
Human Story
A founder's journey, a client transformation, a team member's unusual background. Human stories are the most emotionally resonant and the most shareable — but they require a genuine narrative arc, not just a biography.
Trend Explanation
Your expertise applied to a trend that is already in the news. "Here's what the [current trend] means for [your audience]." This angle is highly timely and requires fast execution — but it generates placements in publications that are actively covering the trend.
Insider Access
Behind-the-scenes expertise that most people have never seen. How does [your industry] actually work? What do insiders know that outsiders don't? This angle works especially well for complex industries where the public has misconceptions.
Prediction & Forecast
Where is your industry going in the next 12–24 months? Predictions are highly shareable and position your spokesperson as a forward-thinking authority. They also have a built-in follow-up story when the predictions prove accurate.
How a Story Mining Session Works
A story mining session is a structured 90-minute interview with your founder, CEO, or subject matter expert. We come prepared with a research brief: we have read your company's recent content, reviewed your competitors' press coverage, and identified the topics that publications on your target list are currently covering. The interview is designed to surface the angles that sit at the intersection of your expertise and the media's current interests.
We ask questions designed to uncover data, stories, and perspectives that you may not realize are valuable. "What do your clients consistently get wrong about [your industry]?" "What trend are you seeing in your data that surprises you?" "What would you tell a journalist that would make them say 'I had no idea that was true'?" These questions reliably surface the angles that generate placements.
After the session, we produce a story angle brief: a document that outlines the three to five strongest angles we identified, the publications and podcasts each angle is best suited for, and the pitch approach we recommend for each. This brief becomes the foundation of the media mapping and pitch writing process.
Why Los Angeles Businesses Have More Story Angles Than They Realize
Los Angeles is one of the most media-rich cities in the world. The city has a dense ecosystem of journalists, podcast hosts, and content creators covering every industry from entertainment and technology to healthcare, real estate, and finance. The competition for their attention is fierce — but so is the opportunity.
LA-based businesses have a natural advantage in local and regional media: the Los Angeles Business Journal, LA Times, dot.LA, and dozens of industry-specific publications actively seek local business stories. A story that might not get placed in a national publication can generate significant coverage in LA-focused media — and for most local service businesses, that is exactly the audience that matters.
Story mining session deliverables
- 90-minute structured interview with your key spokesperson
- Research brief: competitor coverage analysis, media landscape review
- Story angle brief: 3–5 prioritized angles with placement rationale
- Target publication list for each angle
- Pitch approach recommendation for each angle
- Data and evidence requirements for each angle
Find your story
Uncover the Angles That Journalists Actually Want
We interview your team, analyze your data, and identify the story angles that will get your experts placed in the publications and podcasts your target customers read.