A Secret to Pitching

I came across an article on prnewsonline that provided PR hits to pitching a story to a news editor. Last fall I pitched two different stories for my internship. I had the opportunity to intern with a fabulous team at HIV Alliance. This is where I gained experience interning for a non-profit organization.  Their mission is to support individuals living with HIV/AIDS and to prevent new HIV infections.  

Mid November we set up multiple events for World AIDS Day.  My advisor asked me to call numerous news stations and pitch the story of our HIV memorial remembrance at the county courthouse in Eugene. I called the main editor of the news room to see if they received my e-mail and if they had any questions. From my knowledge, it is appropriate to try and contact the same reporter you send the e-mail to. The majority of broadcasters like to read pitches via e-mail. Pitching a story through e-mail allows the reader to review the information right in front of them while having the availablity to forward your pitch to additional reviewers. According to prnewsonline, DS Simon Productions asked 79 respondents to grade broadcasters and reporters about how decisions are made and management in the newsroom.

·       56.4% of broadcasters love to be pitched by e-mail;

·       41.3% hate being pitched by telephone, and 27.6% hate being pitched by fax;

 ·       38.4% think that only 1/3 of PR people are knowledgeable about their programs

 ·       95.7% of reporters and producers work on stories that appear on their Web site;

·       52.2% said that their station’s Web site could be pitched separately from newscasts;

·       95.5% said that their Web site uses multi-media content;

·       Only 16% of stations are banned from using third-party video; and,

·       Healthcare stories are still the most in demand – 79.1% of respondents expressed high interest in health stories.

I find the following to be useful for PR rookies:
PR pros should keep in mind that, when pitching, they need to give the reporter tools to sell the story to their manager. Phone calls are still a necessity following an e-mail pitch, especially if you want feedback. For more information visit prnewsonline

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