“High Cholesterol Fuels the Growth and Spread of Breast Cancer,” a research news release from Duke Medicine caught the attention of Newswise staff while it was being issued to reporters under embargo last fall. Upon further investigation, something interesting happened.
“I noticed that, in paragraph 8 or 9, there was a comment by one of the researchers,” says Client Services Manager Thom Canalichio. “They basically said that high cholesterol reduces the effect of one of the most common types of cancer treatment drugs, rendering it useless.
“I said to myself, ‘This could be an entirely separate news release!’”
That idea wasn’t in the original headline, so after some collaboration with the communicators at Duke Medicine, and with the review by and approval of the researchers, Newswise conducted the following experiment: approach the story from different angles to attract more attention from a wider variety of readers, and get more coverage.
Media outlets from around the world and across the spectrum took notice. Some outlets included the Newsweek Poland, Jerusalem Post, Ladies’ Home Journal, New York Times, National Geographic, National Public Radio, and more. To date, these four releases have received a combined total of 18,678 page views and 161 media outlet views.
“High Cholesterol Fuels the Growth and Spread of Breast Cancer”
5,513 page views, 70 media outlet views.
“High Cholesterol May Make Breast Cancer Worse”
4,384 page views, 28 media outlet views.
“Cholesterol Could Counteract Breast Cancer Treatment”
4,436 page views, 14 media outlet views.
“Should Women Take Statins to Reduce Breast Cancer Risk?”
4,345 page views, 49 media outlet views.
The process… produce three releases summarizing the original article, “High Cholesterol Fuels the Growth and Spread of Breast Cancer”
The first release “High Cholesterol May Make Breast Cancer Worse” was given a straight forward headline and clarified the research for a lay audience. The second release “Should Women Take Statins to Reduce Breast Cancer Risk?” picked up on the finding that statins could reduce breast cancer risk and severity. The third release “Cholesterol Could Counteract Breast Cancer Treatment” highlighted the reason why breast cancer treatment may not be as effective in women with high cholesterol.
We want your feedback!
What do you think of this strategy? Do you want Newswise’s help to execute this process on one of your own releases? Newswise is the only service of its kind to offer this level of custom feedback and professional development. Please contact us if you are interested in discussing what you could do to maximize your news at [email protected] or by calling 434-296-9417.
