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What is newsjacking?
Newsjacking is the practice of taking advantage of a breaking news story or trending event to promote your brand, product, or point of view. You add a timely, relevant angle to a story journalists and audiences are already paying attention to — so your content rides a wave of demand that already exists, instead of trying to create attention from scratch.
The Oxford English Dictionary, which added the word in 2017, defines newsjacking as “the practice of taking advantage of current events or news stories in such a way as to promote or advertise one's product or brand.” In practice, that can mean a tweet, a blog post, a press pitch, a video, or an ad — published while the story is still hot.
Who invented newsjacking?
The modern concept of newsjacking was pioneered by marketing strategist David Meerman Scott in his 2011 book Newsjacking: How to Inject Your Ideas into a Breaking News Story and Generate Tons of Media Coverage (David Meerman Scott, Wikipedia). Scott defines it as “the art and science of injecting your ideas into a breaking news story so you and your ideas get noticed.” The term was later named to the Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year shortlist.
“Newsjacking is the art and science of injecting your ideas into a breaking news story so you and your ideas get noticed.”— David Meerman Scott, who coined the term
The news cycle and the newsjacking window
Every breaking story follows a predictable bell curve. A story breaks, journalists scramble for facts and expert sources, coverage peaks, and then interest fades. The newsjacking window is that narrow stretch on the upswing — after the story breaks but before it peaks — when reporters are hungry for additional angles and audiences are most engaged.
Speed is everything. Brands that publish a relevant take within minutes or hours capture the attention; brands that wait until tomorrow are too late. This is exactly the bottleneck newsjacking software is built to solve.
Why newsjacking works
- Borrowed attention. You tap into demand that already exists rather than manufacturing it.
- Earned media. A timely expert angle can land you in the “second paragraph” of a reporter's story.
- Cost efficiency. Oreo's famous Super Bowl tweet reached millions for essentially nothing (Wired).
- SEO & AI search. Publishing fast, relevant content on a surging topic helps you rank in Google and get cited by AI answer engines.
Famous newsjacking examples
The canonical example is Oreo's “You can still dunk in the dark” tweet during the 2013 Super Bowl blackout — published within minutes and retweeted thousands of times (Digiday). Other classics include Aviation Gin's response to the viral Peloton ad and Heinz's “Barbiecue” tie-in with the Barbie movie (Cision).
See the full breakdown in our 20 newsjacking examples, and read how Ryan Reynolds turned newsjacking into billion-dollar exits.
How to newsjack in 6 steps
- Monitor the news in real time
Set up alerts and trend tracking so you spot stories the moment they break.
- Qualify for relevance
Only jump on stories where your brand can genuinely add value. Forced angles backfire.
- Find your angle
Inform, entertain, or add expert commentary — give people a reason to care.
- Create fast, on-brand content
Draft a post, pitch, or visual that matches your voice while the window is open.
- Publish & pitch immediately
Push to social and email relevant journalists before the story peaks.
- Measure and learn
Track reach and engagement, then refine your next newsjack.
Want the detailed playbook? Read how to newsjack, step by step.
Common newsjacking mistakes to avoid
- Forcing irrelevant stories. If the connection feels like a stretch, skip it.
- Newsjacking tragedies. Never piggyback on disasters or grief.
- Moving too slowly. A great take published a day late is worthless.
- Ignoring brand voice. Consistency builds the credibility that makes newsjacking land.