As you groan at the latest Britney news clip, you’ve got to sometimes wonder, “Who the heck decided that this is news?”

The answer is us–the people who watch, read or listen.

Quite simply, the more viewers, readers or listeners they have, the more the station or publication makes from advertising. So they spend a lot of time analyzing their audience and figuring out what they (we) want. They look at the numbers to see when their audiences go up and down, but they also look at what people take the time to write, call, or email about–good and bad.

That’s why you can turn on the news every night and see that the old saying “if it bleeds, it leads” is true. You’ll also frequently see stories about the fall of well-known people or companies. But it’s not all bad–underdog stories and the reunion of lost kids and pets are popular too. In publications, you’ll see multiple stories that boil down to three themes–how to save/make money, how to save time, and how to live better. Because everyone is always looking for new ways to do those things. And there are always trends–right now anything green is hot.

So the next time you’re getting ready to do a press release or contact an editor with an idea, don’t think about selling the editor on you or your idea–focus on how what you’ve got to say will appeal to their audience. Because they’ll be the ultimate decision-makers of whether its news or not.