Pitch Letters Media Advisories Media Kits And Opeds

Slide 1: Pitch Letters, Advisories, Media Kits and Op-Eds Chapter 8 PR 313

Slide 2: 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!

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

Slide 4: 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

Slide 5: 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

Slide 6: 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

Slide 7: 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

Slide 8: 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

Slide 9: 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

Slide 10: 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!

Slide 11: Media Alerts  Used to tell assignment editors about an upcoming event  There are a few different standard formats

Slide 12: 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

Slide 13: “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

Slide 14: Media Kits  May be elaborate or simple  Contains various elements on your campaign for the media

Slide 15: Elements of a Media Kit  News release  News feature  Fact sheet  Background information  Photos/Graphics  Biographical info on the spokesperson or executive  Basic brochures

Slide 16: 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

Slide 17: Electronic Press Kits  Mailed press kits are being replaced by electronic press kits – Accessible on the corporate Web site – Sent via CD-ROM

Slide 18: 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

Slide 19: 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

Slide 20: 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

Slide 21: 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

Slide 22: 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

Slide 23: 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