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How to pitch
to the news media
 During
a Media Matters editorial meeting, we discussed angles for this
lead article and how to pitch a story to media was one idea. We
thought it may have been too basic because surely professional
PR/media practitioners know this stuff? We decided to do some
frontline research and were surprised to find that the majority of
people pitching stories are doing it the wrong way. We know this
because we decided to ask the only people qualified to answer that
question - we asked the gatekeepers of Australia’s news - the radio
and television producers, influential freelance journalists and
news desk editors - how to pitch a story. Their full and frank
comments have given Media Manoeuvres the latest guide to pitching a
story. Ignore it at your peril.
Ditch the matey, over-friendly chat. “The smarmy stuff
doesn’t go down well,” says a news editor of a major daily
newspaper. “I am not your best friend.” Another senior journalist
told MM that the fake friendliness from “PRs with whom you have no
personal relationship” is an immediate trigger to switch off from
the pitch.
It’s about the content. A story with merit will get a
bite, a story that has no relevance, that is stale, boring or
self-serving will never run. Remember, your story idea is swimming
around in a sea of emails, non-stop phone calls and press releases.
Pestering busy journalists and producers with lame ideas devalues
your currency and will make it harder to get bites on the future.
The more weak stories you pitch, the less likely you are to build
credibility with the media outlet. (Re-read Aesop’s The Boy Who
Cried Wolf for further instructions.) Also, be prepared to
re-send emails that interest the news editors, most are
automatically deleted or completely ignored.
A good story needs as many of the following ingredients as
possible:
Exceptional • New, topical • Conflict • Human interest •
Impact
Understand the time and turnaround pressures for all news
producers whether online, print or broadcast. A smart pitcher knows
that newsdesks can be chaotic. “There is no time to prattle on,”
says a news editor. Be precise and to the point. Expect to get put
on hold numerous times, no matter how good the story is. Major
metropolitan newspapers tend to lead the news. If a story gets a
run, expect to be receiving calls from radio and television
producers from 5.30am, so be prepared, and have the phone switched
on. “It’s so annoying when PR won’t return calls for hours when you
are trying to get a story up for that night,” says a TV
researcher.
Have the ‘talent’ to back up your pitch. Have photo ideas
ready to roll, have case studies and interview subjects to back up
your story and all the contact details for producers in a hurry.
Always think of ways to make it easy for the story to be
produced.
Know your media. Demonstrate up-to-date familiarity with
the media outlet. It is essential to take the time to identify the
right writer/presenter/reporter/blogger for your story. “I will
take more notice of short, well-written emails (no typos or
spelling mistakes!) targeted at what I do, showing some knowledge
of the publications I write for, and suggesting some angles that
fit with what I write,” says a widely published senior freelance
writer. “I also take more notice where I know the PR person and
have dealt with them before.”
Editors are continually facing PR firms that do not even know
the section of the paper that might be interested in the story, let
alone the right reporter. A classic mistake is pitching a profile
of a person the journalist has already written about. “They have no
idea who they need to pitch to,” says a newspaper editor. If you
are pitching to a particular reporter/presenter it is essential to
be up to date with their work.”
Finally, please repeat the following mantra. “I will not send
out mass mail-outs…….”
Feedback
If you deal with the media in your role, we would really
appreciate your ranking of our feature article. And because we know
you are taking the time to help us to get it right, we are offering
you the chance to win Paul Barry's book "Who wants to be a
billionaire? The James Packer story".
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