PR 101

I was once pitched by a Milwaukee public relations guy about a client that had made some minor changes in the way it did business. I told him it wasn’t a story in which our readers would be interested. Even in those still halcyon days of newspapering, there was a finite amount of space in the paper.

When I told him no, that account executive made the biggest mistake any public relations person can make – he threatened me and yelled at me. He told me he was going to call The Milwaukee Sentinel’s editor – who he claimed was a close friend – and tell him what a bad journalist I was. Secondly, he screamed at me, telling me I didn’t know what a great story he was giving me.

Not only did this person strike out on that pitch, he took himself out of the game completely. I went to my editor and told him what had occurred. He immediately took this public relations person off the list of people to whom we listened. Yes, there was list. It was informal, but it existed. Second, the overall editor said he had never heard of the guy.

It is pretty obvious what this public relations guy did wrong – everything. I am starting off with this example because a lot of people make some of the same mistakes in dealing with outlets.. I am constantly surprised by how many people have no clue how to pitch a story.

There are several steps you should take before you make the pitch, when you make the pitch, and after you make the pitch. Doing this will not guarantee your story will be published or aired. Nothing can. But it can increase the odds.

Some things to remember before we get into the details. The news media in general is more overworked than ever. They don’t have the time for you to waste their time. And they have less air time and space than ever. They are going to be very selective about what gets published or broadcast.

OK, let’s go over the dos and don’ts of pitching. First, the dos:

* Determine if really it is really a story. The old cliché is true: “dog bites man is not news, man bites dog is.” In other word, a story has to be something new, out of the ordinary, or unusual.

* If you think you have a story, do your research on who you should pitch. Reporters hate it when you don’t know what they cover. I had three primary beats in my career – police, business, and courts. I specialized in a number of things on my business beat. I used to get calls about food, sports and a number of other areas I didn’t cover. Sometimes I would pass the tip on the right reporter, but not always.

* For two reasons, I usually counsel against calling an editor to pitch a story: often times the editor will just refer you to the reporter; and it can make the reporter angry. Reporters often hate it when their editor overrides something they are doing to assign them something else. You want a happy reporter talking to you, not one who feels like they have been forced to do the story.

* Pitching broadcast is different than bloggers or print journalists. Call the news director or assignment editor with your story. Remember, for television you have to have to visuals – something that can be broadcast.

Now comes the most important part: making the actual pitch. If you take nothing else from this blog, remember this – when you call anyone in the media, the first four words you say after you say hello and identify yourself are: Are you on deadline? If the person says yes, thank them, ask when is a good time to call back and hang up. Never keep talking. Deadline is very stressful time when the person is trying to complete an assignment. They don’t have time to talk. Of course, if your building is on fire or you just won the Nobel Prize, that’s different. Use common sense.

In addition:

* This is an “elevator speech” situation. You have a limited amount of time to make your case. Use it wisely.When you do talk, get to the point. Before you pitch, repeat the mantra I use: “be brilliant, be brief, be out of there.”

* A note on email pitching. Find out the outlet’s policy on email before sending one. Because of a fear of viruses or hacking some organizations have a blanket policy of deleting any email that comes from an unknown source. I recommend calling the person first and telling them the email is on the way.

* Once the interview is scheduled, do your homework. Make sure you have the answer to every question you think might be asked. Have background materials ready to give the journalist or blogger. The goal is to make it as easy for the interviewer as possible.

What not to do:

* It is OK to pitch a story to different outlets at the same time. However, once an outlet says yes, stop pitching. Every editor or blogger wants the exclusive story. Unless this is a major media event, only give it one outlet initially. What’s a major event – something that involves a subject that affects thousands of people.

* It is not OK to pitch a story to different reporters at the same outlet. If you’ve pitched to the correct reporter, and that person says no, that’s it. You don’t think writers talk to each other?

* You will not be able to see the story, read the blog or view the broadcast before it is made public. So, don’t ask. Most people in the media feel you will try to influence a piece to take out anything you don’t like if you see it before it runs.

* Don’t do elaborate media kits. I have a friend who covers the brewing industry. He likes beer, so he is always happy when he receives free beer as part of a pitch. But, giving him beer doesn’t mean he will do a story. What writers and broadcasters want is information in a form they can use. They also are usually barred by ethics codes from accepting anything of major value – say over $10.

After the initial interview is completed, don’t assume it’s over. The interviewer will usually have more questions once they review their notes. Make sure you are available to answer those questions. Don’t be surprised if only about one-quarter to one-third of what you said ends up in the story. Only what the reporter determines is important will be used. As I said before, space is limited.

Those are the basics of pitching. Remember, every situation and writer is different. So be careful, and think before you pitch.

I post this blog every Monday. As a new feature, if you have questions you would like me to answer, please email me. I am always looking for topics and input. My email address is in the next paragraph.

My background: I worked as a reporter for 25 years in central Illinois, upstate New York, suburban Detroit and Milwaukee. I now help clients with marketing communications through my company – JJC Communications LLC. If you want to know more about my company, and myself, click the link. It’ a cliche, but it’s true for me: no job is too big, no job is too small. I have worked with companies on the Fortune 500 list and I have worked with companies that have one employee. The service I provide is the same for all.

I am also available for speaking on media relations and marketing. I can be reached at 414-763-8310 or
jjccomm@wi.twcbc.com.