Here's the pitch
January 6, 2003
By Al Rothstein
Pitching, selling, proposing. All are terms media specialists use to describe the way story ideas are presented to news outlets. Pitching takes time and skill. An effective pitch delivers the right kind of information to the right reporter. That means learning the reporter's needs.
Remember the Audience
To be effective, your pitch must address not just the reporter; it must show how and why the reporter's audience/readers should care.
A bad pitch might sound something like this:
"We would like for you to cover our fundraising event tonight. The mayor will be there. And your competition is covering it."
The above is guaranteed to make the reporter cover something else.
A good pitch:
We are having a fundraising event tonight. Some of the people affected by the donations will be there. If you like, I will be happy to e-mail you the story and contact information of one family that has benefited from the generosity of our donors. There are a lot of other families in our community who are in the same situation.
This pitch is effective because it goes beyond the fundraising and tells the reporter how the audience is affected.
Pitch Distribution
In my media training seminars, I am often asked about the best delivery method for a media pitch. Is it e-mail? Fax? Regular mail? The answer is simple. It depends on the preference of the reporter receiving it. It takes more time to find this out, but the end result is worthwhile.
Al's advice:
- Remember that pitching takes time and skill.
- Focus on the right reporters for your pitch.
- Address the reporter's audience.
- Go beyond the initial event and pitch the meaning.
- Learn the reporter's preference for receiving story ideas.
Al Rothstein is a media trainer and consultant with Al Rothstein Media Services,
Inc. For information, call (800) 453-6352, mediabrain@rothsteinmedia.com.
Visit our web site at www.rothsteinmedia.com.
