ARTICLE
PERFECTING YOUR PITCH: HOW TO CATCH A JOURNALISTS ATTENTION
The latest ONS Labour Market Statistics show that there are now more people working in journalism than at any point since 2010. With 12,000 fewer PRs than reporters, landing a pitch is more challenging than ever, so how can you stand out from the crowd?
1. Choose the right journalist
This may seem painfully obvious, but with many publications having multiple journalists for different sectors and content types, it’s vital to do your research. You don’t want to send an idea about cybersecurity to a property editor.
2. Get to know the Journalist
Now this doesn’t mean stalking their social media and asking for their life story, but it can be helpful to read other articles they’ve written to get a flavour of the topics that they care about. This way, you can tailor your pitch to them.
If you leave a good first impression, pitching to them in future should be an easier task.
3. Nail the subject line
The subject line is usually the first thing a journalist will see when your pitch lands in their inbox. It might be tempting to jazz it up with a pun or ‘buzzwords’, but simplicity is often better. Spell out what your idea is in just a few words, so the journalist knows exactly what they’re getting when they open up your email.
4. Explain why the idea is relevant
A news hook is an effective way of proving why your pitch is relevant to the here and now. Journalists are more likely to take note of your idea if it addresses an issue that is impacting their audience. However, don’t force a news hook – a tenuous link will only make your pitch weaker.
5. Don’t write War & Peace
Journalists can receive hundreds of pitches a day, so often don’t have time to read a beautifully crafted narrative. Introduce your news hook and get straight into the idea you’re offering. Including bullet points that lay out the information succinctly can be helpful, as the journalist merely needs to scan your email to judge whether or not it’s of interest. Clear yet impactful is what you’re aiming for.
Pitching has become more and more competitive, as journalists increasingly outnumber PRs, but if you can prove the value of your ideas, it’s a competition that you’ll find yourself winning.
To find out more about how we can help to get your expertise out into the media universe get in touch
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