Pitching an Editorial or Story Idea

Background work
Prior to pitching an editorial or story idea to a newspaper you want to do some background work.

• Identify your audience
  • Who are you trying to reach?
  • What is the best medium (print, television, radio, Internet) to reach those individuals.
    
    
• Develop a media list
  When developing your list, consider the scope of your issues.
  • Is it local, statewide or national?
  • Does it lend itself to a daily newspaper, trade or business publication or a feature in a magazine?
  • Is there an editor/reporter with a special connection to the issue?

Pitch the editorial/story
The goal of the media pitch is to interest the outlet in your story with clear, concise information in a form that can be used by the media outlet.

Identify the individual at a media outlet that you will be contacting and make the pitch. Sample script for call:

“Hello, my name is (name) and I’m calling from (organization name). Are you on deadline right now or do you have a minute to speak?

(Offer your idea for an editorial/story and why it might interest the outlet’s audience. Be sure to include: author’s name, title and organization; the subject and the length of the piece.)

“Does this sound like something you’d be interested in? (Offer to forward a press release and/or background information.) If you have any questions, please call me at (phone number).”

When a reporter is interested in your story, forward materials marked as “Requested Materials.”  This helps to ensure that your email, fax, etc. is not lost among many others seeking coverage.

Follow-up with the reporter 1-2 business days after sending the requested materials (4-5 if sent by mail). The goal of the follow-up call is to secure a commitment to publish your story.

Offer assistance in locating materials or resources necessary for the reporter to write a strong story. These may include photographs, facts sheets, and relevant contact information.

If the reporter has not reviewed your materials, offer to resend and identify a time and date for later follow-up.