The Do’s and Don'ts of Pitching in 2024: Recap of WMPRSA’s “Meet the Media” Event
WMPRSA’s “Meet the Media” event remains popular as it helps answer the ever-changing question of, “what does media prefer when receiving a pitch?” This was an opportunity to hear firsthand from media professionals and have five minutes of one-on-one time with members of the media to share story ideas.
WMPRSA is thankful for participation from:
Elliot Grandia, Morning Show Anchor, WXMI-FOX 17
Shelley Irwin, Host & Reporter, WGVU
Emily Linnert, Anchor/Health Beat, WOOD-TV8
Lindsay Moore, Reporter, MLive
Sarah Suydam, Editor, West Michigan Woman Magazine
Phil Tower, Host & Station Manager, WYCE 88.1 FM
Dan Zar, News Assignment, WZZM 13
You may be wondering, what exactly does the media want? You’re in luck; the morning started with results from a survey the attending media professionals responded to.
Email is the preferred method of sending pitches. Eighty percent prefer a press release with supporting content: media contact, quotes, facts, etc.
Follow up (but no stalking people). Eighty percent prefer one follow-up. “We will reach out if we’re interested,” said Zar.
Sixty percent require or prefer interviews. Make sure to offer days and times for interview availability. Written quotes are also appreciated.
What Not To Do
Don’t send out a press release without a timely interview option.
Don’t pitch a story too late — outlets need time to plan, too.
Don’t send a weak pitch — work with your client to sharpen it!
Don’t forget to consider your audience — why will they care about this story, and what will they want to know?
Don’t CC multiple outlets on a single generic pitch — send personal, targeted pitches.
What To Do
Include visuals with written permission. Keep in mind, some media outlets cannot use the visuals you give. Rule of thumb, always send it and they can decide to use it or not.
Pitch individual reporters/outlets so not all outlets do the same story.
Make sure your pitch is well-written, gets right to the point, provides interview access and outlines all details at once (facts, visuals, quotes).
Know what they cover. Go the extra mile and follow up on a current story with additional story ideas.
Plan ahead. Send several ideas for upcoming months with access to experts.
Follow big news. “If a celebrity dies of a heart attack, don’t send a pitch the same day. Maybe the next day offer an expert to talk about tips for a healthy heart,” said Linnert.
Keep in mind their target audience and viewer demographics.
Take a look at their editorial calendar. Print outlets are often working months ahead.
When explaining bad pitch examples, media points out pitches with typos, incorrect information, sending updates that are not story ideas (i.e. job postings) or ghosting when they respond with interest as things to avoid.
Attendees had the opportunity to ask media questions before the speed pitching began resulting in more helpful tips for communications professionals.
Tower noted, “Please don't let people do interviews with a laptop in a noisy room.” The biggest challenge for radio is conducting interviews that have poor audio quality.
Irwin made a call out to public relations professionals who are reliable, “Show up when we call. Scramble. Make it work. We remember it!” All the media agreed in unison.
As you prepare your next pitch, keep these tips in mind to increase your chances of coverage.
About The Author:
Kelsey Pardue is a member of the WMPRSA Board, chairs the WMPRSA Membership Committee and serves on the Professional Development Committee. She is a senior public relations specialist at Priority Health.
