What makes a good story?

Regardless of who you’re talking to, what makes a good story remains the same:

• It’s interesting and relevant
• It’s remarkable or different
• It’s relatable and easy to understand

To help you write a strong story, read our guidance.

How to tell a strong story

Selling your story: what do you need?

A real-life story: Your work, or the issue you’re trying to bring attention to, will be more engaging if you use the story of an individual or group to sell it.

Facts and figures: You should include any compelling facts and figures that help support the issue you’re raising. For example, the percentage of people affected by an issue locally.

An expert view: Including the opinions of local experts will help strengthen your story. For example, the view of a local doctor, councillor or community leader on the findings you’re publishing.

An event: If you’re holding an event to find out more about an issue or to launch a piece of work, include details to encourage people to attend.

What do journalists want?

Human interest: Stories about people in their communities who their audiences will relate to and care about.

Usable content: Clear copy, strong pictures, powerful quotes and case studies willing to share their experiences – anything that makes it easier for journalists to do their job.  

Videos: You could also think about content for the paper’s social media channels, such as well-produced videos.

How to reach journalists?

Increasingly you can contact journalists through social media, although phone and email are still the best way to get in touch. You should be able to find this information on your local paper's website. If you are contacting someone through social media, make sure they're using their accounts for professional purposes. 

What should you include in your press release?

For immediate release: (add time, date and location)

Use this if you want the media to publish your story as soon as they receive it.

Embargoed until (add time, date and location)

Use this if you want to give journalists time to prepare the story or want to ensure they don’t use your press release until a specified date.

Headline

Start with a snappy, attention grabbing headline, but don’t try too hard. Keep it simple. 

Bullet points of key information

After your headline summarise your main message, key findings and relevant statistics in short bullet points to get the journalist’s attention.

Main text

This is where you outline your story answering any reader’s key questions: who, what, when, where and why?

Then include a strong quote from someone relevant to the story. This might be from a case study or the opinion of a local expert.

If you have any extra information, such as a link to find out more online, include this at the end of your press release.

Ends

Always use ‘ends’ to mark where the press release stops and the ‘notes for editors’ begin.

Notes for editors

In this section you should provide any additional background information. Include a short description of your organisation, what you do, and any further details about the project. You can also include any other facts and figures relevant to your story.

If you have pictures, photo opportunities, social media content, interviewees or anything else to offer, outline this under the notes for editors. 

Contact

Make it clear who journalists can contact for more information. Also make sure you include details for when you are out of the office. This can make the difference between a story being covered or not.

Should a release for broadcast media be different?

If you are trying to get TV or radio coverage, you can structure your press release slightly differently to be helpful. After your headline and bullets of key information, include a section called Broadcast opportunities.  In this section, include the following information:

• Date – make clear if you can provide pre-recorded interview or filming opportunities in advance of any embargo date.
• Interviews  – list the key people you have available for interview. For example, your CEO, a patient and a health expert.
• Filming locations – make clear the opportunities you have available. For example, do you have an event, can they film at a service or in a location which will help communicate your story.

You might also be interested in

How to plan your communications

About this resource

Healthwatch have a legal power to visit health and social care services and see them in action. This power to Enter and View services offers a way for Healthwatch to meet some of their statutory functions and allows them to identify what is working well with services and where they could be improved.

This guide aims to provide guidance to Healthwatch on their power to Enter and View health and care services. It includes recommended practice based on learning from the Healthwatch Network.

It includes: 

• Where Enter and View can take place
• Who can carry out an Enter and View visit
• Key questions to ask covering the different stages of Enter and View
• Responding to reports and recommendations

How to get consent for a case study or photography

Whether it's for social media, your website or publications, an emotive case study and a great photo can catch people's attention and engage your audience.

It's important that you make sure the people in your case studies and photos understand where and how the resource will be used by collecting their written permission. 

You can use the case study and photography consent form below to get people's permission.

Guidance on using Healthwatch England photography

What support is available?

You may not always be able to use your own photography. We carry out regular photoshoots with the public and in health and care services so you can use free, high-quality photos in your work. Visit our photo library.

What does our consent form state?

To be photographed, members of the public are asked to sign a consent form. This makes clear that our network will use the photos to promote Healthwatch. But it also makes clear that if someone withdraws their consent or we no longer have a reason to use an image, we won't use it any new publications or materials.

Our policy changed in 2024 to be in line with CQC's policy. Consent for photos we took before this expires after five years.

We make clear that images may still appear on existing publications and materials because the photos were used within the window of consent in accordance with GDPR, and had a lawful basis for us using them. This could be in old reports/news stories, past social media posts, or backdated collateral.

What should you do when the right to use an image has ended?

When we can no longer use an image going forward, we remove it from:

• The photo library, so the image is no longer available to use
• Current pages on our website (e.g. landing pages), as well as the Communications Centre
• Other social media and communications systems where the image may be stored (such as Facebook Ads Manager, Canva library, MailChimp library, Eventbrite, personal drives etc.)

What if someone withdraws consent?

If an individual actively revokes their consent, we do our best to remove the photo wherever this is practical. For example, we can change an image on old news stories, but we can't remove it from a publication that has already been printed.

We ask that you take similar steps, and will alert you when consent for an image has expired. On the very rare occasion someone withdraws consent, we'll also alert you and ask you to no longer use the image and to remove it from your systems.

Reducing the administrative burden

To save time when asked to remove an image, we would ask that whenever you use an image, you take it from our image library (either on Flickr or our communications centre) and delete the image from your personal computer or shared drive once used. This will reduce the chance of you using an image if consent has expired or been withdrawn.

About this resource

The CiviCRM allows you to create, send and track email marketing all from one place. By using the mailing function within your CRM, you’re able to easily keep track of who has been sent what and whether they have opened it or taken any action.

This resource talks you through the process of creating and scheduling a mailing, and how to evaluate the results.

About this resource

To help manage and track complex sequences of interactions between people in your organisation and contacts in your CRM, there is the Cases function.

Cases can help you to:

• Track a specific workflow or procedures that must be followed that involves different members of staff
• Allow staff to manage and track interactions while avoiding duplication
• Automate the task of resembling and scheduling follow-up activities.

This resource looks at how to create and manage Cases on your CRM.

We recommend that you have a good understanding of using activities, before moving on to cases.

About this resource

One of the many benefits of CiviCRM is its ability to help you keep track of your contact with individuals and organisations by using the activity function. The CiviCRM comes with a number of activities as standard including:

• Meeting
• Outbound phone call
• Engagement/outreach

This resource is for users with administrator permissions to explain how to create and configure new activity types for your Healthwatch, with custom fields if you require them.

About this resource

The CRM is focused on contacts being the key part of the system. All other parts of the system, such as relationships, notes, groups, mailings, events and reporting are based around the contacts you have in your CRM.

This resource is for anyone using CiviCRM and explains what contacts are and how to add, edit and delete a contact.

About this resource

The CRM comes with many features as standard, but it is possible for you to customise the CRM to be able to add your own fields to different areas and aspects of the CRM.
For example, you can create new activities, add new fields to existing activities, add or edit contact fields.

This resource is for CRM Administrators and explains more about how to customise the CRM to suit your local needs.

About this resource

To access your CiviCRM you need a username and password. It is important that your password remains secure, and we encourage you to update this regularly to help ensure your data remains secure.

This resource explains how to regain access to your CiviCRM if you have forgotten your password.

About this resource

As with any system, it is important that you regularly check and monitor who has access to your CRM and the permissions levels they have to ensure your data stays secure.

When new people join or leave your organisation you will need to add or remove them and the permissions they have as appropriate.

This resource is for users with administrator permissions to explain how to best manage users access to their CiviCRM.