December 2000
MAINE MEDIA & MARKETING
How to pitch your story to the media
Copyright © 2000 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.
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So you've got a captivating story to tell, and you're sure it would make a great feature in Sunday's paper or on the evening news. Now it's time to start pitching the media on your idea. For tips on pitching, consider the advice of Joan Stewart, publisher of The Publicity Hound newsletter. Stewart, a former newspaper editor, runs a media relations consulting agency in Saukville, Wisconsin.
1. Familiarize yourself with the media outlet where you want coverage. Call ahead and ask for a copy of their media kit so you know the demographics of their audience. Visit their Web site. Read the publication or listen to the radio show before pitching.
2. Know how the media outlet wants to be pitched. Some prefer e-mail pitches rather than phone calls. If you aren't sure, it's best to e-mail one of the editors and ask. After you identify yourself, always ask, "Is this a good time to talk?"
3. Keep your pitch short and succinct. Explain your idea and, most importantly, why their audience will care. Include statistics in your pitch to put your idea in perspective. Provide enough information so they know what the story is about, but don't bog down your pitch with extraneous detail.
4. For print publications, call the advertising department and ask for a copy of their editorial calendar, the month-by-month listing of topics and special sections that will are coming up. Pitch the editor of a particular section a few months before it is being published. For national magazines, pitch six month ahead.
5. Make sure your pitch is free of typos.
6. Offer names and phone number of other sources they also might want to contact. This will appeal to reporters who want multi-source stories, such as the business journals.
7. If pitching radio or television show, pitch an idea for an entire show. For example, if you are an author who has a new book, don't pitch yourself or your book. Instead, pitch an idea for an entire show around your topic and suggest yourself as one of the panelists or guests.
8. Suggest ideas for graphic elements such as photos, graphs, charts and maps that you can provide.
9. Don't send the same pitch to several people at the same publication at the same time. At a large newspaper, for example, you might pitch a health-related idea to the health columnist. If she says no, then try the features editor. If he says no, then try the reporter who covers your community.
10. No means no. If they don't like your idea, don't try to change their minds. However, you can ask, "Is there anything related to this topic that you might be interested in?" Also, invite them to call on you in the future if they need story ideas, background or commentary on your topic.
Kimberly McCall is the president of McCallMedia & Marketing, Inc., a marketing, public relations and business communications company in Freeport, Maine. She is the monthly marketing columnist for Entrepreneur's Start-ups magazine, and an inc.com contributor. You may reach her at: Kimberly@MarketingAngel.com. Web site: www.MarketingAngel.com.