Finding defensible editorial angles

An angle is not a summary

A summary says what the campaign found. An angle says why a specific publication’s readers should care this week. The same dataset can yield several angles, and most of them will be weak. The craft is in noticing which are supported by the evidence and which are only supported by hope.

Start from what the page actually shows

List the findings the page states outright, then the ones it implies. Angles built on stated findings are defensible. Angles built on implied findings need extra proof before they go in a pitch.

• Stated: figures and comparisons printed on the page
• Implied: trends or causes the reader might infer
• Absent: anything you would need to add yourself

Do not invent audience relevance

It is tempting to claim a regional or sector story because the topic sounds local. If the data does not break down by region or sector, the claim is yours, not the data’s. Say what the evidence supports and let relevance follow from it.

Keep fit and clearance apart

Use editorial fit to shortlist the publications and audiences that suit your campaign.

Test the angle against the weakest link

Take the angle and ask which single piece of evidence, if it failed, would collapse it. If that piece is thin, either strengthen it or choose a smaller angle. A modest angle that holds beats an ambitious one that does not.