Pitching Media - An Overview

published 2004

1. What is meant by ‘pitching’ to media?

Pitching to the media describes the process where you contact specific media outlets to offer them either an exclusive story or the opportunity to have something that is ‘special’ to them.            

A pitch will normally relate to something that can’t be covered by a press release - an invitation to meet a visiting VIP or the offer of a special case study or opinion piece to be written for them.

2. In what circumstances do you pitch?

• When you want to achieve targeted media coverage in specific important media outlets, rather than across many.
• When you want to build a special relationship between your organisation and specific media outlets through offering newsworthy material.
• When you have a story that you want to offer exclusively to non-competing media.

3. What are the key things to do before pitching?

       Research and prepare!

• Ensure you have clear objectives of what you want to achieve.
• Make a careful selection of your media - know as much as you can about the media and its style and the individual you intend to pitch.
• Develop a clear outline of your story and its relevance to the media.
• Develop and refine your pitch - whether email or verbal - so that it’s the most succinct and compelling you can make it (remember you may have less than 10 seconds by email and 30 seconds on the phone to sell your idea).
• Put yourself in the place of the recipient reporter and try and critique your pitch.

4. How can a pitch be made?

• by email (the subject heading is absolutely vital - and there should be no attachments - media get hundreds of emails a day).

• by phone (you have to first get the person on the phone, then avoid a time that clashes with their deadline and then be able to get their attention and interest).

5. What are the most common mistakes made in pitching?

• trying to pitch stories that don’t warrant being pitched in the first place ie
                 -         they are not genuine news
                 -         they are not being offered exclusively
• pitching to the wrong media
• failing to get the pitch messaging right - and therefore not getting the reporters attention

6. What questions should you ask before embarking on a pitch to the media?

• Is this genuinely newsworthy?
• Why should the media outlet be interested in it?
• Have I thoroughly researched the media outlet and the reporter?
• Am I doing this as part of plan with clear objectives?
• Do I have the written and/or verbal skills to pitch this?
• Does this warrant a pitch?  Would a simple media release or media alert be just as effective?

The chances of successfully pitching are increased if you have a personal contact within the media you are targeting - that’s why PR agencies, who work regularly with media, do a lot of pitching.  But often they find themselves under pressure from clients to pitch stories that really don’t warrant it.

Finally, it’s worth remembering that media who are on the receiving end of pitches become very wary of those who incessantly pitch but are unsuccessful.  Such practices can sour relationships.  And that rather undermines the ability of the PR person - whether in-house or within an agency - to do his or her job effectively.