read online: by Susan Young at
getinfrontcommunications.com
see also [posted on CoSIDA.com]: YouTube Video:
Associated Press: How to Pitch a News Story
It takes a lot to shock me, but this one left me scratching my head. I asked a few of my media contacts and friends who work on the chaotic front lines of the news every day how they prefer to receive pitches. I really wanted to see how plugged in to social media they were.
My bad.
The following is a smattering of their responses. Many people preferred to remain anonymous simply because they didn’t want to deal with the corporate food chain to get approval to speak with me. That’s fine; I just wanted information that I could pass along to you. I interviewed print, radio and TV pros in the New York/New Jersey media market. There’s also insight from a TV producer in San Antonio, Texas.
The question: How do you want to receive a pitch or story idea?
“As of right now, I don’t know anyone that would accept a pitch via social media. E-mail is the best way to pitch me, because it gives me time to read the story and go back to it, if I can’t read it right away. That being said, social media is becoming more and more relevant, so I wouldn’t be surprised if stories were found on FB or Twitter. I am on both, but really use them for personal reasons, rather than business.”
- Producer, Today Show
“We don’t have the time to follow all the pretty little shining objects that people use to try to get their message out. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Digg, MySpace and the other social media are interesting and varied ways to reach consumers, but journalists can’t monitor all of them and hope to produce the necessary stories and material needed for our paper and online platforms. If you want to get our attention, you need to use the basic channels we already have set up – our two main e-mail addresses. These are controllable and simple for us to monitor and use for the basis for future stories – either paper or online. And of course, someone can always, God forbid, pick up the phone!”-
Paul Grzella, General Manager/Editor, The Courier (NJ) News
“The best is to e-mail story pitches that are super short. Tell me what visuals and interviews will be available. No huge files that clog my e-mail and gets immediately deleted. Brief follow-up e-mails are good. Once a relationship with a reporter is built, brief phone call pitches can work. I don’t look for stories on Twitter or Facebook.” -
TV news reporter, New York
“I don’t get pitches much on social media, well, maybe a few on FB. Here are my thoughts. Be brief, to the point. Sell me the idea. If you can tie it into a “right now” story, either local or national, that helps. Include contact information, and be available. And don’t take it personally if we don’t pick up on your story. There are many factors that influence daily coverage, and it may have nothing to do with the validity of your story at that moment. ”-
Shari St. Clair, Special Projects Producer, KSAT-12 TV, San Antonio
“I don’t like to be pitched via social media at all. That’s silly. I have a private e-mail address and phone number. Why contact me on a public site where everyone can see your pitch? It’s simply unprofessional.”-
Reporter, The Wall Street Journal
“I don’t get too many story pitches via social networking. We have an assignment desk at WCBS 880, so I have to refer what pitches I do get to the desk any way. Media professionals are welcome to send me a pitch via Facebook or Twitter, but they should remember that that is NOT the ‘official’ way to pitch a story at WCBS. It’s not an efficient way to do it.”-
Steve Scott, WCBS Anchor, NY
“I’m the last person in the world to ask about social media. I’m not on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. Regular old e-mail is my preference for pitches.” –
TV Producer at Fox News, NJ/NY