When a newspaper, magazine or broadcasting organization describes one of their stories as an exclusive report, they are meaning that the story will not be published or broadcast elsewhere. The exclusive nature of a news story provides extra incentive to a journalist or media outlet to run the story because it means they have the opportunity to be first in line for reader interest.
Creating an exclusive report requires an in-depth research of the topic and access to information that may not be available publicly, like through interviews or public records. It also requires a well-written article that is crafted to be concise and informative while including a unique angle that will appeal to readers.
A good idea is to only pitch an exclusive to a single journalist or media outlet, rather than trying to get it in as many publications as possible. This will avoid two outlets having competing exclusives at the same time, which could damage the credibility of both publications.
It’s important to only use an exclusivity as a last resort and for truly worthy news, such as a big product launch or the announcement of a new partnership that has the potential to change an industry. Journalists can quickly see when a news story is being used as an exclusive for nothing and will lose trust in the brand that tries to leverage their position by exploiting them. They will then be less likely to work with the company for future stories.
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