Pitch Letters Media Advisories Media Kits And Opeds

Pitch Letters, Advisories, Media Kits and Op-Eds Chapter 8 PR 313

Pitch Letters
The odds are against you when you pitch a journalist
Most pitches do not even receive a response
You need to improve your odds!

Three phases of a typical pitch
1. Research your target media
2. Write the letter/make the call
3. Follow up

Research First
Before you make contact, learn about the media outlet
Examples:
Circulation
Target age of readership/viewership
Specific editorial leanings/likes/dislikes
Reputation of the writer/editor
Any detail that will help you customize your pitch

Customization
Use the information you find to customize the pitch
A customized pitch has a better chance of success
Find out how an individual writer/editor prefers to receive their pitches

Preparing the Pitch Letter
“ 60-second rule”
You have a very brief amount of time to make your impact
Keep it short and simple
Keep the pitch to a single page
Have a good lead, but make sure that you get to the point quickly

Six Elements of the Pitch Letter
1. Enough facts to support the story
2. Angle of interest to the audience
3. Alternative angles suggested
4. Offer to help with research, interview arrangements and graphics
5. Indication of authority and/or credibility
6. Mention of pending follow-up call

Tips
Be aware of the deadline that the reporter is operating under
Don’t call on their deadline!
Only do so if it is big “breaking news”
Don’t call to ask, “Did you get the release?”
Don’t lie

E-mail Pitches
Header should be to the point
Keep it brief
Don’t include attachments (unless requested)
If you are “blasting” an e-mail to multiple editors, you should hide the other recipients
Add an “opt out” disclaimer at the end of the e-mail

Follow-up
“ I will contact you next week to follow-up, but in the meantime you can reach me at…”
Be prepared to answer detail questions that might help “sell” the story
Accept “no” graciously
You are it for the long term – so don’t burn a bridge!

Media Alerts
Used to tell assignment editors about an upcoming event
There are a few different standard formats

Media Alerts
Usually contain short, bulleted items with the basic elements of who, what, when and where
May include info on where a reporter can get more information, if they are unable to attend in person
Satellite feed
Online press room

“ Interview Opportunity” Media Alert
If you are making a spokesperson available for media interviews, a media alert can be used to let reporters know about the opportunity

Media Kits
May be elaborate or simple
Contains various elements on your campaign for the media

Elements of a Media Kit
News release
News feature
Fact sheet
Background information
Photos/Graphics
Biographical info on the spokesperson or executive
Basic brochures

Packaging Your Kit
A 9 x 12 folder is acceptable
Some campaigns have more elaborate packaging
More is not necessarily better
Your budget may dictate which approach you go with

Electronic Press Kits
Mailed press kits are being replaced by electronic press kits
Accessible on the corporate Web site
Sent via CD-ROM

Op-Ed
Many campaigns include written articles that are submitted to the opinion/editorial pages of newspapers
These are usually written by CEOs or high-ranking executives on behalf of the company
Can be very influential
No-cost campaign

Op-Ed Pieces
Great way to get your message out
Sometimes they will inspire traditional editorial coverage
Length is typically 400-750 words
Find out the policy of the paper before you submit your Op-Ed

Writing the Op-Ed
Keep it focused to a single theme and idea
Make your viewpoint clear from the first paragraph
Use facts and statistics for credibility
Shorter sentences are preferred
Write in journalistic third person (no “I”)
Don’t “mass mail” to multiple media outlets

Letters to the Editor
Shorter than op-ed pieces
Focus on rebutting an editorial or clarifying info in a recent news story
Used to get your organization’s point of view across with minimal editing
Find out the paper’s policy/guidelines before submission

Tips
Keep it short
200-300 words is ideal
Keep it rational
Keep it focused
State your viewpoint clearly
Include your title, organization in the closure

Homework
Read Chapters 8 and 9
Complete a pitch letter to the media
Structured like a letter
Addressed to a specific editor on your media target list
Aims to convince editor to write a story about your client

http://www.crowdcircles.com	928
http://wsu-pr313.blogspot.com	50
https://cdpecontent.wsu.edu	36
http://cdpecontent.wsu.edu	32
http://www.slideshare.net	15
http://www.wsu-pr313.blogspot.com	8
http://www.blogger.com	6
http://translate.googleusercontent.com	1
http://intranet	1

Pitch Letters Media Advisories Media Kits And Opeds

by Brett Atwood

Accessibility

Categories

Upload Details

Usage Rights

9 Embeds 1,077

Statistics