News journalism must be concise and attention-grabbing, quickly and accurately distilling complex topics into easily digestible information for a general audience. Most importantly, the story must be relevant to the viewer – otherwise, they will quickly become uninterested. In many respects, public relations (PR) is not much different from news journalism. In fact, there are several things PR professionals can learn from this discipline – especially as it pertains to pitching.

When pitching to the media, the common mistake PR professionals often make is that their pitch is unrelated to the journalist's concerns. While a PR agency must promote the products and services of their clients, journalists want to avoid coming across as an advertisement. PR professionals must learn what topics matter to journalists (and, by extension, their audience), then position their clients accordingly.

What do PR Professionals Often Miss When Pitching?

A vital aspect of pitching is highlighting the client’s expertise. PR professionals should sell the client's ability to speak knowledgeably on relevant topics, not their products and services. By focusing on their knowledge or specializations, journalists will be more inclined to quote or interview one of the C-suite executives. Although some of the finer details of the client's product or service might get left out of a particular story, the aim is to build prestige and elevate the brand, which will help them attract more customers.

Timeliness is also important. Connect the story to something happening in the news to grab the journalists’ attention. For example, we have a client in the telecom space that focuses on security. During this past election, everyone was getting bombarded with political text messages. Unbeknownst to many is that some of these texts might actually be fraudsters posing as candidates or party workers, attempting to steal personal information. Not only was this topic within our client’s wheelhouse, but it was also timely and top of mind for any journalists.

Pitch Writing is Storytelling

Treat pitch writing as if you were selling the journalists on a story. Today, journalists have a short attention span, whether that’s mainstream journalism or broadcasting. There are only so many emails they will read all the way through. To get them interested, you can’t mince words. Using as minimal words as possible, emphasize why what you're telling them matters to their audience. The same rule applies to the story itself. While you need to spotlight your client and elevate their brand, their product or service is just one piece of the much larger story; it should only have an appropriate amount of “screen time.”   

Other Tips from News Journalism to Incorporate into the Pitch Process

For many reporters in TV broadcast news, the way they get better is by observing and learning from other experienced people in the industry. PR is no different. The more you interact with top professionals, reading their writing and studying how they craft stories, the better you will become as a writer and PR professional.

Collaboration is also key. After news reporters write a script, they will often have one of the anchors or another colleague read it (not just for the approval process) to get a second or third set of eyes to see if any missed angles can make it more meaningful for the audience. The final product will only improve once you incorporate collaboration into your pitching process.

Moreover, rapport is essential to the work of any reporter or PR professional. As one develops relationships with the media, whether through TV stations or online publications, it becomes easier to get their stories read and pushed out. Similarly, with PR, establishing lasting relationships with outlets allows you to be successful in the future.

There is No One-Size-Fits-All Method  

As with broadcasting and news media, PR professionals will succeed by keeping the story related to the needs or issues of the target audience. And while there are certainly best practices that will increase the likelihood of a pitch being successful, nothing will work 100% of the time. Sometimes, despite the freshness and intrigue of your story, the journalists might be looking for something entirely different. It’s paramount to keep an open mind and be adaptable; avoid being rigid and stubborn. Ultimately, ensure that you tailor your pitch to what the journalist cares about and leverage your client’s expertise appropriately.