Media pitching is an art.
It’s more than just a couple sentences slapped together and mass emailed or texted to every journalist in town. Given the state of today’s print newsrooms, a more strategic, customized and compelling approach to media pitching is clearly more effective than a blanket approach.
Outreach to media with a story idea that resonates with a journalist and their audience is the bread and butter of Priority Marketing’s Public Relations Team, which pitches stories to local, regional, national and industry media every day. These efforts have resulted in stories featured by newspapers, magazines, television stations, radio stations, online sites, podcasts and other platforms.
As the print journalism industry continues to evolve, story pitching requires a more thoughtful, collaborative approach to result in media coverage.
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What today’s newsroom looks like
A generation ago, newsrooms were busy places with rows upon rows of journalists. Today’s newsrooms, particularly for newspapers, look much different. Some publications don’t even have a physical newsroom – it’s a collection of individuals who work remotely and connect digitally.
When print publication experiences a decline in subscribers or advertisers, it leads to a decline in revenue. To help balance the budget, publications often consider two options to control costs:
- Trim the workforce by reducing the number of journalists. This can mean reporters double- or triple-up on beats. A journalist who once covered crime, for instance, may be asked to take notes during court cases, attend commission meetings or even write game recaps from sporting events.
- Trim the publication by decreasing the number of pages. This reduces what industry insiders call the “news hole,” or the amount of physical space in the publication dedicated for stories. The news hole is separate from paid advertising.
Cutbacks have left many communities with fewer journalists. This makes it even more difficult for businesses and nonprofits to successfully pitch a story. Reporters simply don’t have time to interview sources and research information. Publications don’t have unlimited space, either.
This is why Priority Marketing values its relationships with journalists. Reporters can receive dozens, even hundreds, of emails, calls and texts every day. They are more likely to respond to messages if they know the sender personally and/or professionally.
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Media pitching for print
Meltwater, a global leader in media, social and consumer intelligence, notes the sweet spot for media pitches is four to six sentences. That is much shorter than a news release, but just as much thought and consideration should go into a media pitch.
Below are several important media pitching steps:
- Research the media organization to learn what types of stories the publication typically covers. Check out their editorial calendars, special sections and topics they cover.
- Comb through staff listings to decipher which reporter, editor or producer is the best fit to tell a story.
- Craft a media pitch that includes answers to six essentials all journalists are trained to ask: who, what, when, where, why and how.
- Include mention of timeliness (the news peg) and potential interest to readers (the news hook).
- Note who is available for an interview and what visuals (photos and videos) are available.
An eye-catching subject line also is important when sending media pitches via email. Multiple studies over many years have found that people often delete emails without ever opening them. To top that off, a 2024 survey from the earned media company Propel shows journalists responded to just 3.43% of media pitches.
Many publications will print news releases, articles and guest commentaries provided by business owners, community leaders and industry experts. However, stories bylined by staff reporters almost always receive better placement than contributed pieces and offer third-party credibility. If you want your story to be on the front page, you need a reporter to tell it.
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Interested in learning how Priority Marketing’s team of talented professionals can pitch your stories to the media? Please give us a call today at 239-267-2638 or send an email to LetsTalk@PriorityMarketing.com.
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