For some strange reason, people generally gravitate towards round numbers, and that includes news editors.

Look what happened last year with the 9-11 Memorial in New York City. There was a ton of focus on it and on the entire tragedy in 2011. Why? Because it was the 10th anniversary. I’m guessing we won’t see as much news coverage about this topic this year (the 11th anniversary).

The current hoopla over the Titanic is another great example. Why are we all of a sudden reading about new tv and film productions and seeing a lot more articles about that doomed cruise ship? Because May 2012 is the 100th anniversary of its sinking. If it were the 99th anniversary or the 103rd, that wouldn’t be the case. Why is that so? I don’t know, but understanding the reality of the public’s fascination with round numbers can help you place a news story.

For example, I’ve tried with varying degrees of success to publicize a program in which the company where I work joins forces with a university philanthropy class. The students study local nonprofit groups and then award a grant to one of them, using funds provided by employer. I help by publicizing the grant presentation at the end of the program each year. We were able to get some news coverage of the grant presentation the first few years but after a while it became very difficult.

This year, however, is the 10th anniversary of the program and my employer’s affilliation with it. When I called a reporter at the local daily paper who covers the university, I mentioned that. She was immediately intrigued and asked for a list of the past grant receipients. I quickly put that together and sent it to her. She wound up attending the grant presentation, along with a photographer from her paper. The end result was a pretty significant article (complete with 2 photos) in the paper the following day. There was something magical about that number 10!

So here’s my advice for you: when you’re asked to publicize an upcoming event, take a look back first at its history. Determine if there is a significant, round number attached to it that you can use in your pitching efforts!