Mentionworthiness

Mentionworthiness is a criterion in communications and media analysis describing the likelihood that a topic will be mentioned or cited in ongoing discourse, including media, social networks, and informal conversations. It applies to individuals, events, ideas, brands, or pieces of content and can influence decisions in journalism, public relations, and marketing.

Assessing mentionworthiness involves multiple factors: novelty or surprise; relevance to audiences; practical usefulness or human interest; emotional resonance; timeliness; and the ability to fit platform norms or storytelling frames. Controversy, social proof (what others are talking about), and connections to broader narratives also elevate mention-worthiness.

Measurement is often empirical in planning contexts, using social listening, engagement metrics, shareability, reach potential, and sentiment analysis, alongside qualitative judgments about clarity and appeal.

Applications: PR teams pitch stories or product features; editors decide what to cover; marketers optimize content for shareability; researchers study discourse dynamics.

Ethical considerations include avoiding sensationalism, ensuring accuracy, avoiding manipulation of topics solely for attention, and respecting privacy.

A local community initiative with clear benefits, a novel feature that solves a common problem, or a relatable personal narrative can have high mention-worthiness due to practical impact and emotional appeal.