Reporters are bombarded every day with hundreds of news pitches from businesses, public relations agencies and entrepreneurs all looking to make headlines. But why do certain stories get chosen for coverage while others are declined or ignored? 

 Here are 10 tips suggested by media professionals to help you and your business make the news.

1. HOW YOUR BUSINESS
CAN MAKE THE NEWS
10 Best Practices For Pitching The Media
10 t
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by the sted
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Presented by HERO|farm
Marketing Strategy & Design
www.hero-farm.com

2. 1
WHY DOES YOUR NEWS MATTER?

3. 1
WHY DOES YOUR NEWS MATTER?
YOU MAY THINK YOUR BUSINESS OR PRODUCT IS THE GREATEST THING TO EVER EXIST, BUT WHY
WOULD SOMEONE WHO HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT BE INTERESTED IN YOUR NEWS? YOUR NEWS
IS COMPETING WITH HUNDREDS OF OTHER PITCHES, ALL HOPING TO MAKE HEADLINES. YOU NEED A
HOOK/ANGLE THAT CATCHES FIRE AND INTRIGUES THE AUDIENCE TO LEARN MORE. WHAT KINDS OF
STORIES MAKE YOU STOP AND TAKE NOTICE? WHICH HEADLINES GRAB YOU MOST?

4. 2
KNOW THE AUDIENCE

5. 2
KNOW THE AUDIENCE
READ UP ON THE MEDIA OUTLET AND REPORTER TO WHICH YOU ARE PITCHING. WHAT STORIES HAVE
THEY PREVIOUSLY DONE? IS THEIR AUDIENCE CONSERVATIVE? YOUNGER? IS IT A VISUAL MEDIUM
(LIKE TV NEWS) THAT NEEDS INTERESTING VIDEO TO ACCOMPANY THE STORY OR IS IT TEXT HEAVY
(PRINT NEWS) WHERE STILL PICTURES WILL DO BEST?
EVERY MEDIA OUTLET HAS A SPECIFIC DEMOGRAPHIC THEY CATER TO AND MOST REPORTERS HAVE
CERTAIN TOPICS THEY COVER. FIND THE ONES THAT MATCH UP BEST WITH YOUR NEWS. CHECK THE
OUTLET’S WEBSITE TO SEE IF THEY HAVE REPORTERS LISTED IN SPECIFIC AREAS.

6. 3
FLESH IT OUT

7. 3
FLESH IT OUT
HAVE THE PITCH READY TO GO AS IF THE REPORTER WILL WANT TO RUN
WITH IT IMMEDIATELY. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR NEWS HALF-BAKED, AND BE
READY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. THE LESS GROUNDWORK A REPORTER HAS
TO DO FOR YOUR STORY THE MORE LIKELY THEY ARE TO USE IT. REMEMBER
THE FIVE W’S: WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE AND WHY.

8. CHECK THE CALENDAR
4
Photo credit: Stephanie Snyder/Cronkite News Service

9. CHECK THE CALENDAR
KEEP IN MIND WHAT ELSE MAY BE GOING ON IN THE LOCAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL NEWS
WHEN YOU GO TO MAKE YOUR PITCH. IF A MAJOR STORY IS BREAKING YOU WILL MOST LIKELY NOT GET
COVERAGE. REPORTERS ARE TYPICALLY TIED UP ON THE MOST PRESSING STORIES AT HAND, SUCH AS
A POLITICAL ISSUE OR SCANDAL, AND THE OUTLET’S FOCUS GOES ALONG WITH IT. ALSO, CHECK THE
MEDIA OUTLET'S WEBSITE TO SEE IF THEY HAVE AN EDITORIAL CALENDAR.
4
Photo credit: Stephanie Snyder/Cronkite News Service

10. 5
BE CONCISE

11. 5
BE CONCISE
A REPORTER'S INBOX IS FLOODED WITH HUNDREDS OF
EMAILS EVERY DAY AND THEY OFTEN HAVE ONLY A FEW
SECONDS TO SCAN YOUR PITCH. QUICKLY CATCH THEIR
ATTENTION! PUT THE MOST IMPORTANT, KEY POINTS AT
THE BEGINNING OF THE EMAIL (WHO, WHAT, WHEN,
WHERE, WHY) AND HIGHLIGHT THEM IN BOLD.
ALSO, IF YOU CAN'T FIT THE MAIN POINT OF WHAT
MAKES YOUR NEWS INTERESTING INTO ONE SENTENCE
YOU MAY BEED TO RETHINK YOUR PITCH. LASTLY, DON'T
BURY THE MAIN POINT LIKE THIS: USE AS FEW WORDS
AS POSSIBLE — EDIT YOUR PITCH, RE-EDIT, AND THEN
EDIT SOME MORE.

12. 6
DROP BIG NAMES

13. 6
DROP BIG NAMES
ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE SOMEONE WITH A NOTABLE NAME LIKE
A CELEBRITY OR GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL ON HAND FOR YOUR
GRAND OPENING, PRESS CONFERENCE OR OTHER TYPE OF EVENT?
BE SURE TO MENTION IT IN YOUR PITCH. BIG NAMES USUALLY
DRAWS NEWS COVERAGE, SO BE SURE TO CALL NAMES OUT.

14. 7
CUSTOMIZE YOUR PITCHES

15. 7
CUSTOMIZE YOUR PITCHES
MASS EMAILS ARE AS IRRITATING TO REPORTERS AS THEY ARE TO YOU - SO DON'T
DO IT! WHEN EMAILING A REPORTER ADDRESS IT TO HIM OR HER SPECIFICALLY AND
MAKE SURE IT IS CUSTOMIZED FOR THE MEDIA OUTLET'S AUDIENCE. WHY WOULD
YOUR NEWS BE IMPORTANT TO THEIR VIEWERS/READERS? IF YOU WERE IN THE
REPORTER’S SHOES, WOULD YOUR PITCH BE COMPELLING ENOUGH TO DESERVE
VALUABLE COVERAGE TIME? ALSO, AVOID SENDING LARGE EMAIL ATTACHMENTS.

16. 8
USE SOCIAL MEDIA

17. 8
USE SOCIAL MEDIA
THE NEWS INDUSTRY HAS SHIFTED TO WHERE THE LATEST BREAKING INFORMATION
IS FOUND FIRST ONLINE. ALMOST EVERY REPORTER THESE DAYS CAN BE FOUND ON
TWITTER AND THEY ACTUALLY OFTEN PREFER YOU CONTACT THEM THERE INSTEAD
OF VIA EMAIL… JUST BE SURE TO DIRECT MESSAGE THEM SO THEIR COMPETITION
DOESN'T CATCH WIND OF YOUR PITCH!

18. 9
DO NOT CALL

19. 9
DO NOT CALL
REPORTERS ARE RARELY AT THEIR DESKS. IF THEY HAPPEN TO BE THERE THEY
USUALLY ARE FRANTICALLY WORKING ON SOMETHING AND PHONE CALLS INTERRUPT
THEIR WORKFLOW. UNLESS THEY ASKED YOU TO CALL OR YOU ALREADY HAVE A
PRIOR RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM, CALLING CAN PUT YOUR PITCH AT PERIL.

20. 10

21. 10
REPORTERS HAVE HECTIC JOBS THAT PULL THEM EVERY WHICH WAY SO IT'S EASY
TO HAVE YOUR EMAIL SLIP THEIR MIND. IF YOU PITCHED A STORY AND HAVEN'T
HEARD BACK FROM THEM IN A FEW DAYS, FOLLOW UP WITH A CORDIAL EMAIL TO
REMIND THEM. IF YOU STILL DON'T HEAR BACK CONSIDER YOUR PITCH DECLINED.

22. RECAP
10 Best Practices For Pitching The Media
1) Why Does Your News Matter?
2) Know The Audience
3) Flesh It Out
4) Check The Calendar
5) Be Concise
6) Drop Big Names
7) Customize Your Pitches
8) Use Social Media
9) Do Not Call
10) Follow Up
10 tip
sugge s
by the sted
ne
media ws

23. THANK YOU TO THE MEDIA PROFESSIONALS
BELOW FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS.

24. HOW YOUR BUSINESS
CAN MAKE THE NEWS
10 Best Practices For Pitching The Media
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