Understand the Different Deadlines
Television and newspaper reporters face different deadlines, which means you must approach them at different hours of the day. You never want to reach or pitch a reporter when he is under deadline because his attention won’t be focused on you. Generally speaking, every television reporter that files a daily story is under deadline three hours before the newscast. Some specialty reporters, like consumer, health or investigative correspondents, don’t file reports every day so they could be approached during the newscast, but you must be certain they are not under deadline. Most publicists know the unwritten rule is to never pitch a story during a newscast, but for many specialty reporters and producers this can be the best time to reach them. As a specialty producer in the consumer and health units, I rarely received calls during our newscast even though it was probably the best time to reach me. I wasn’t under deadline, I was unwinding for the day, and I was receptive to hearing new pitches at that time.
Many newspaper reporters with a daily beat must file their stories between 6pm and 7pm, so you should avoid calling them after 3pm. Reporters who file weekly stories in the Arts and Leisure, Sunday Business or similar sections typically face a Thursday deadline. You should avoid calling these reporters on the day of their deadlines. If you are uncertain of a reporter’s deadline, do a Google search with his byline name to see how often his stories appear in the newspaper. If his stories run every week you can safely assume he works under a weekly deadline. When in doubt over a deadline, just ask.
In many cases a reporter’s daily deadline can work in your favor, giving you a better opportunity to shape the media’s coverage. If there is an issue brewing in the morning news that impacts your business and you have uncovered a sidebar element, you should pitch it to the reporter by 8am. Every newsroom has a morning meeting where reporters pitch stories for the day. These meetings typically start at 9am although in some cities they can start as early as 8:30am. If you are pitching a daily story that is tied to a daily news topic, make sure the reporter has the story idea for that morning meeting. The morning meeting is one of the rare times when reporters can get instant approval for a story idea since all of the news managers are hearing the pitch at the same time.
If you aren’t getting responses from your pitches, you might want to reconsider your entire approach. Perhaps your story idea isn’t focused or you are pitching to the wrong reporters. Maybe you haven’t properly identified why your story is newsworthy. Take the time to re-evaluate your press release to see if you are communicating the essence of your story. Remember, public relations is not advertising. No newspaper or television station wants to do an advertisement or commercial for a product or service. Make sure you have communicated in your pitch how your story will benefit the public. Remember, there is a home for every story. It’s just a matter of finding the proper niche and tailoring the pitch directly for that niche.
For more tips on how to pitch reporters, go to www.BeatthePressBook.com
Showing posts with label pitch story ideas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pitch story ideas. Show all posts
Thursday, February 19, 2009
How to Pitch Reporters
Pitching Reporters over the Phone
Common etiquette dictates that callers should follow a certain protocol when reaching out to a reporter over the phone, but viewers and readers rarely follow this. How would you feel if you answered your phone at home, and someone started telling you a problem without saying hello, or asking if it was a good time to talk? Now you know how reporters, producers and assignment desk managers feel when they pick up their phone at work and hear strangers immediately ramble into a problem.
If you are following up with an email release or trying to pitch a story over the phone, ask the reporter if you are reaching him at a good time before you jump into the pitch. If he says he is under deadline, ask him when is the best time to call him, thank him, and then say good-bye. I personally don’t like receiving pitches over the phone because I have found that a person’s thought process is more scattered when he is verbally pitching a story.
When it is on paper, the pitch seems more to the point and I can jump ahead to see if there is a story buried between the lines. That being said, some reporters still do prefer phone pitches because it gives them a chance to press the person with more questions. Whichever the preference, you will be hard-pressed to find a reporter who likes receiving story pitches over voicemail. Callers tend to drag on and on without any focus. If you get a voicemail, you are probably better off just hanging up. Wait until you get the person over the phone to make your pitch. And try to be empathetic. I’ll admit reporters and producers can sometimes be rude. Many of them are kind people outside of work but they get frustrated like many other people with their jobs. If you reach a reporter on a bad day, and he is rude over the phone, just remember everyone is occasionally entitled to a bad day. And please don’t hold their rudeness against all journalists, just like most of us don’t hold a grudge against all rude viewers and readers.
Personalize Your Pitch
Reporters and producers know when they are receiving a massive email blast. The pitch is not personalized, it doesn’t cite the producer or reporter’s name and it is written for a broad audience. These emails are rarely read past the first sentence because most of the time these ideas are worthless. Many people think they are making progress by getting their emails out to the largest number of journalists, but they’re not. It’s not productive if no one reads the release or if the email is sent to the wrong journalist.
Take the time to personalize the approach to the reporter, telling him in that first sentence why you think he is the right person for this story. Add the person’s first and last name at the top of the email, so he will believe the release is sent directly to him. And never, ever send an email release that lists the email addresses of everyone receiving the pitch. Some publicists have told me they believe this inspires competition, believing the reporter will move faster if he knows the story is available to other journalists. This couldn’t be further from the truth. In most cases, the reporter or producer will assume he is dealing with an inexperienced publicist, which means the odds are slim that the story pitch will be unique and valuable. He will also assume that the story has less value since every other reporter has it. If you have a solid idea, personalize the pitch and it will be better received.
For more on How to Pitch Reporters, go to www.BeatthePressBook.com
Common etiquette dictates that callers should follow a certain protocol when reaching out to a reporter over the phone, but viewers and readers rarely follow this. How would you feel if you answered your phone at home, and someone started telling you a problem without saying hello, or asking if it was a good time to talk? Now you know how reporters, producers and assignment desk managers feel when they pick up their phone at work and hear strangers immediately ramble into a problem.
If you are following up with an email release or trying to pitch a story over the phone, ask the reporter if you are reaching him at a good time before you jump into the pitch. If he says he is under deadline, ask him when is the best time to call him, thank him, and then say good-bye. I personally don’t like receiving pitches over the phone because I have found that a person’s thought process is more scattered when he is verbally pitching a story.
When it is on paper, the pitch seems more to the point and I can jump ahead to see if there is a story buried between the lines. That being said, some reporters still do prefer phone pitches because it gives them a chance to press the person with more questions. Whichever the preference, you will be hard-pressed to find a reporter who likes receiving story pitches over voicemail. Callers tend to drag on and on without any focus. If you get a voicemail, you are probably better off just hanging up. Wait until you get the person over the phone to make your pitch. And try to be empathetic. I’ll admit reporters and producers can sometimes be rude. Many of them are kind people outside of work but they get frustrated like many other people with their jobs. If you reach a reporter on a bad day, and he is rude over the phone, just remember everyone is occasionally entitled to a bad day. And please don’t hold their rudeness against all journalists, just like most of us don’t hold a grudge against all rude viewers and readers.
Personalize Your Pitch
Reporters and producers know when they are receiving a massive email blast. The pitch is not personalized, it doesn’t cite the producer or reporter’s name and it is written for a broad audience. These emails are rarely read past the first sentence because most of the time these ideas are worthless. Many people think they are making progress by getting their emails out to the largest number of journalists, but they’re not. It’s not productive if no one reads the release or if the email is sent to the wrong journalist.
Take the time to personalize the approach to the reporter, telling him in that first sentence why you think he is the right person for this story. Add the person’s first and last name at the top of the email, so he will believe the release is sent directly to him. And never, ever send an email release that lists the email addresses of everyone receiving the pitch. Some publicists have told me they believe this inspires competition, believing the reporter will move faster if he knows the story is available to other journalists. This couldn’t be further from the truth. In most cases, the reporter or producer will assume he is dealing with an inexperienced publicist, which means the odds are slim that the story pitch will be unique and valuable. He will also assume that the story has less value since every other reporter has it. If you have a solid idea, personalize the pitch and it will be better received.
For more on How to Pitch Reporters, go to www.BeatthePressBook.com
Pitching the Media Story Ideas
Identify the Best News Outlet for your Story
One size does not fit all when it comes to pitching a story. You will have more success managing the message by targeting the proper medium and reporter. In many ways, newspapers are a microcosm for this analysis. It’s obvious you wouldn’t pitch the sports section a story involving women’s fashion just like you wouldn’t pitch the business section a profile on a high school football coach. But what if that high school coach had leadership rules that applied to business? Or what if the women’s fashion was geared towards female athletes? Concentrate your pitch on the desired audience, but make sure you look beyond the stereotype. A story on a high school football coach with leadership principles could run in many different sections of the local newspaper-sports, business, metro and even the leisure sections. The better you identify your target, the more success you will have getting coverage.
You should apply this same-targeted approach when choosing which news outlet to pitch. If your story idea involves a niche, focus your time and energy on pitching the news outlet that reaches those targeted viewers and readers. Many people make the mistake of pitching to the largest pie (the local television station or newspaper) rather than focusing on a news outlet that reaches their desired demographics. You can better shape the public’s opinion if you are reaching your specific customer. For example, let’s say you have a product that appeals to housewives. You may not be able to pitch Oprah, but you can pitch the local newscast that airs at noon. Housewives are the majority of viewers watching newscasts that air during the workday. If you are trying to get exposure for a new nightclub opening in your area, target the alternative weekly as opposed to the entertainment TV reporter. The more you understand your targeted audience, the easier it will be to identify the best news outlet to pitch.
Writing an Effective Press Release
Newspaper and television reporters should not be approached the same way when it comes to writing email press releases. The two mediums face different time constraints with their stories, and that will dictate how long or short you should make your pitch.
Let’s begin with television where white is always good. The more white space on the email news release the better. No one wants to open an email and see eight, long, single-spaced paragraphs. Your initial pitch should never have more than four paragraphs. This is a stereotype but television moves so quickly that no desk assistant, reporter, producer or news manager will take the time to read a release that resembles a novel. They might make it to the second or third paragraph, but they are not going to read three pages of single-spaced sentences.
Here is a formula that seems to work with my peers and me. Try to think of a catchy headline to put at the top of the release, then follow-up your pitch with one paragraph explaining the story. The second paragraph should tell the reporter why viewers would be interested in your idea. This might seem like a challenging task for the rookie publicist, but by applying the five W’s you will be able to narrow down the focus of the story. The third paragraph should be devoted to explaining what you bring to the table or why you are the person to tell this story. If you have more statistics, articles or research for the reporter, tell him in the email you can provide it upon request.
Why not give the reporter all of the research at once or send it as an attachment? It can be intimidating for any reporter to open an email and see several attachments because he won’t know which one to open. When time is of the essence, no one wants to waste time opening useless attachments. However, if a reporter asks for a specific request, you will know which attachment to send.
Many publicists make the mistake of trying to cram everything into one press release. The purpose of a release is to get the reporter or producer interested in the story. You are only trying to make them aware of the idea, and pique their interest. Don’t worry if the release doesn’t answer all of the questions. If it is a good story, the reporter will give you a chance to answer those questions later.
Your approach should change when pitching newspapers but you should still start with the same principles cited for pitching television: begin with a catchy headline, apply the five W’s to narrow the focus of the story, and explain why you are the person to tell the story. Your email release should be more in-depth, depending on the topic and news outlet you are pitching, but it should not exceed one page. You can add credibility to your idea by attaching recent journals or studies that support your idea, along with a paragraph that explains what knowledge the attachments will provide.
For more tips on how to pitch stories to the media, go to www.BeatthePressBook.com
One size does not fit all when it comes to pitching a story. You will have more success managing the message by targeting the proper medium and reporter. In many ways, newspapers are a microcosm for this analysis. It’s obvious you wouldn’t pitch the sports section a story involving women’s fashion just like you wouldn’t pitch the business section a profile on a high school football coach. But what if that high school coach had leadership rules that applied to business? Or what if the women’s fashion was geared towards female athletes? Concentrate your pitch on the desired audience, but make sure you look beyond the stereotype. A story on a high school football coach with leadership principles could run in many different sections of the local newspaper-sports, business, metro and even the leisure sections. The better you identify your target, the more success you will have getting coverage.
You should apply this same-targeted approach when choosing which news outlet to pitch. If your story idea involves a niche, focus your time and energy on pitching the news outlet that reaches those targeted viewers and readers. Many people make the mistake of pitching to the largest pie (the local television station or newspaper) rather than focusing on a news outlet that reaches their desired demographics. You can better shape the public’s opinion if you are reaching your specific customer. For example, let’s say you have a product that appeals to housewives. You may not be able to pitch Oprah, but you can pitch the local newscast that airs at noon. Housewives are the majority of viewers watching newscasts that air during the workday. If you are trying to get exposure for a new nightclub opening in your area, target the alternative weekly as opposed to the entertainment TV reporter. The more you understand your targeted audience, the easier it will be to identify the best news outlet to pitch.
Writing an Effective Press Release
Newspaper and television reporters should not be approached the same way when it comes to writing email press releases. The two mediums face different time constraints with their stories, and that will dictate how long or short you should make your pitch.
Let’s begin with television where white is always good. The more white space on the email news release the better. No one wants to open an email and see eight, long, single-spaced paragraphs. Your initial pitch should never have more than four paragraphs. This is a stereotype but television moves so quickly that no desk assistant, reporter, producer or news manager will take the time to read a release that resembles a novel. They might make it to the second or third paragraph, but they are not going to read three pages of single-spaced sentences.
Here is a formula that seems to work with my peers and me. Try to think of a catchy headline to put at the top of the release, then follow-up your pitch with one paragraph explaining the story. The second paragraph should tell the reporter why viewers would be interested in your idea. This might seem like a challenging task for the rookie publicist, but by applying the five W’s you will be able to narrow down the focus of the story. The third paragraph should be devoted to explaining what you bring to the table or why you are the person to tell this story. If you have more statistics, articles or research for the reporter, tell him in the email you can provide it upon request.
Why not give the reporter all of the research at once or send it as an attachment? It can be intimidating for any reporter to open an email and see several attachments because he won’t know which one to open. When time is of the essence, no one wants to waste time opening useless attachments. However, if a reporter asks for a specific request, you will know which attachment to send.
Many publicists make the mistake of trying to cram everything into one press release. The purpose of a release is to get the reporter or producer interested in the story. You are only trying to make them aware of the idea, and pique their interest. Don’t worry if the release doesn’t answer all of the questions. If it is a good story, the reporter will give you a chance to answer those questions later.
Your approach should change when pitching newspapers but you should still start with the same principles cited for pitching television: begin with a catchy headline, apply the five W’s to narrow the focus of the story, and explain why you are the person to tell the story. Your email release should be more in-depth, depending on the topic and news outlet you are pitching, but it should not exceed one page. You can add credibility to your idea by attaching recent journals or studies that support your idea, along with a paragraph that explains what knowledge the attachments will provide.
For more tips on how to pitch stories to the media, go to www.BeatthePressBook.com
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