Lisa Millar unpacks what ABC News Breakfast looks for in a story
“Michael and I get in about 3:30am. We have a staff meeting at about 5:00am where we run through the show – what's planned, what our top story is, what we're going to tease, what our best vision is for the day and then we say, ‘okay, is anyone missing anything…what else do we need in this show?” And, we are adding things and getting new interviews and grabbing people throughout the three hours.” Lisa Millar, ABC News Breakfast
Australia’s breakfast TV wars have been dominated by Channel Nine’s Today Show and Seven’s Sunrise. Other stations have tried but these two early morning juggernauts have had decades of loyal followers always battling for the top spot – until now.
The ratings have become a closer race during the past two years after one of ABC’s most experienced foreign correspondents, Walkley award-winning journalist and author of a new memoir called Daring to Fly Lisa Millar took the helm alongside reporter Michael Rowland.
For the first time during its 14 years on air, ABC’s early morning flagship News Breakfast program has toppled the traditional big guns.
And for those in public relations and communications, this means looking at the program with fresh eyes and assessing when and how to pitch what stories.
Lisa discusses how COVID-19 has shaken up live television and how this presents opportunities for PRs.
“The biggest one is that the audience is way more used to seeing people on Zoom and Skype and they don't mind that it looks a bit rough and ready,” Lisa says.
“It's not all locked in…if PR people are watching the program thinking…‘I've got the best talent on this – they could be up on Zoom in half an hour.’ Well, send an email through, you never know your luck.”
Inclusion and diversity is also a key part of ABC’s charter, so PRs should consider gender, ethnicity, location and socio-economic diversity in their pitches.
“The first question that the producers will ask someone who might've pitched something is, ‘Do you have a woman?’…because we are committed to a 50/50 gender target that we have to reach on a daily basis.”
In this episode, Lisa shares a new hot-off-the-press central email address for all News Breakfast pitches and co-hosts Jo Stone and Greer Quinn unpack one of the most important “news values”.
Lisa also shares moments from her memoir Daring to Fly which tracks the journey of a kid from a tiny Queensland town who goes on to cover some of the world’s most impactful events, including September 11, all while battling a fear that almost grounded her career.
You can listen to It’s PR Darlings wherever you get your podcasts. Please share, subscribe, review and follow It’s PR Darlings on social media (links below).
Be sure to listen back to previous episodes to hear from more journalists, producers, content creators and industry experts and tune in to our next episode featuring Lisa Millar from Australia’s top-ranking morning TV show ABC’s News Breakfast.
It’s PR Darlings is produced by Jo Stone from Sticks and Stones PR and Greer Quinn from Forward Communications.
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/lisa-millar-unpacks-what-abc-news-breakfast-looks-for/id1549334086?i=1000556102711
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3YDc28G2HvuS1RKDTfj0Fj?si=IwA9xO3eRPaBgpE4xXT6aQ
Socials:
https://www.instagram.com/itsprdarlings/
https://www.facebook.com/ItsPRDarlings
https://www.linkedin.com/company/it-s-pr-darlings/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-stone-youngleson-562809104/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/corporate-communications/
Contacts:
We acknowledge the traditional landowners and pay our respect to elders past and present, and all Indigenous Australian and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.