This document provides a list of dos and don'ts for pitching stories to journalists and media outlets. It advises against behaviors like repeatedly following up on pitches, pitching basic science as clinically relevant, or sending embargoed materials without agreement. The list recommends doing things like making researchers available to answer questions by deadline, getting to know a journalist's interests, providing unembargoed stories from high impact journals, and cultivating relationships over time. The overall message is to avoid annoying behaviors and focus on developing an understanding of what will genuinely interest journalists.

1. How To Pitch Without Being Annoying:
A Top Ten (OK, 20) List
Ivan Oransky, MD
VP, Global Editorial Director, MedPage Today
Distinguished Writer in Residence, NYU Arthur Carter Journalism Institute
Co-Founder, Retraction Watch
i.oransky@medpagetoday.com
@ivanoransky

2. Don’t
1. Call to make sure I got your emailed press release

3. Don’t
1. Call to make sure I got your emailed press release
2. Call to make sure I got your call about your emailed
press release

4. Don’t
1. Call to make sure I got your emailed press release
2. Call to make sure I got your call about your emailed
press release
3. Pitch me a basic science study as clinically relevant

5. Don’t
1. Call to make sure I got your emailed press release
2. Call to make sure I got your call about your emailed
press release
3. Pitch me a basic science study as clinically relevant
4. Confuse “information people at my institution will care
about” with “press release-worthy”

6. Don’t
1. Call to make sure I got your emailed press release
2. Call to make sure I got your call about your emailed
press release
3. Pitch me a basic science study as clinically relevant
4. Confuse “information people at my institution will care
about” with “press release-worthy”
5. Pitch an upcoming journal paper that you’re unable to
provide as full-text/PDF

7. Don’t
6. Send out a pitch listing yourself as the point person,
then go on vacation

8. Don’t
6. Send out a pitch listing yourself as the point person,
then go on vacation
7. Send the same canned pitch to five people in the same
news organization

9. Don’t
6. Send out a pitch listing yourself as the point person,
then go on vacation
7. Send the same canned pitch to five people in the same
news organization
8. Have a minder sit in on all interviews

10. Don’t
6. Send out a pitch listing yourself as the point person,
then go on vacation
7. Send the same canned pitch to five people in the same
news organization
8. Have a minder sit in on all interviews
9. Send an unsolicited guest article or blog that could be
used were it not dripping with PR references ("At Acme,
the leading provider of surgical toothpicks, we believe….")

11. Don’t
6. Send out a pitch listing yourself as the point person,
then go on vacation
7. Send the same canned pitch to five people in the same
news organization
8. Have a minder sit in on all interviews
9. Send an unsolicited guest article or blog that could be
used were it not dripping with PR references ("At Acme,
the leading provider of surgical toothpicks, we believe….")
10. Start a phone call pitch without giving the reporter or
editor a chance to say “hello”

12. Don’t
11. Send out a pitch listing yourself as the point person,
then go on vacation (ditto for releases touting or even
suggesting PI availability)

13. Don’t
11. Send out a pitch listing yourself as the point person,
then go on vacation (ditto for releases touting or even
suggesting PI availability)
12. Include incorrect embargo information or "I don't
know but I'll get back to you”

14. Don’t
11. Send out a pitch listing yourself as the point person,
then go on vacation (ditto for releases touting or even
suggesting PI availability)
12. Include incorrect embargo information or "I don't
know but I'll get back to you”
13. Build a “firewall” between PIOs and experts

15. Don’t
11. Send out a pitch listing yourself as the point person,
then go on vacation (ditto for releases touting or even
suggesting PI availability)
12. Include incorrect embargo information or "I don't
know but I'll get back to you”
13. Build a “firewall” between PIOs and experts
14. Expect us to know which PIO covers anesthesiology if
you haven’t spelled it out on your site

16. Don’t
11. Send out a pitch listing yourself as the point person,
then go on vacation (ditto for releases touting or even
suggesting PI availability)
12. Include incorrect embargo information or "I don't
know but I'll get back to you”
13. Build a “firewall” between PIOs and experts
14. Expect us to know which PIO covers anesthesiology if
you haven’t spelled it out on your site
15. Pitch awareness month as a news peg

17. Don’t
16. Embargo material that’s already published (and yes,
online ahead of print counts)

18. Don’t
16. Embargo material that’s already published (and yes,
online ahead of print counts)
17. Ask me to agree to an embargo that you plan to let
someone else break

19. Don’t
16. Embargo material that’s already published (and yes,
online ahead of print counts)
17. Ask me to agree to an embargo that you plan to let
someone else break
18. Send embargoed material before I’ve agreed to any
embargo, then expect me to uphold it

20. Don’t
16. Embargo material that’s already published (and yes,
online ahead of print counts)
17. Ask me to agree to an embargo that you plan to let
someone else break
18. Send embargoed material before I’ve agreed to any
embargo, then expect me to uphold it
19. Use ALL CAPS in your subject line

21. Don’t
16. Embargo material that’s already published (and yes,
online ahead of print counts)
17. Ask me to agree to an embargo that you plan to let
someone else break
18. Send embargoed material before I’ve agreed to any
embargo, then expect me to uphold it
19. Use ALL CAPS in your subject line
20. Pitch me to write a piece for a news organization
where I no longer work

22. Do
1. Convince your researchers to return my staff’s phone
calls -- by deadline

23. Do
1. Convince your researchers to return my staff’s phone
calls -- by deadline – and not talk in jargon
2. Get to know what I’m interested in, by reading, and
seeing what I do on Twitter

24. Do
1. Convince your researchers to return my staff’s phone
calls -- by deadline – and not talk in jargon
2. Get to know what I’m interested in, by reading it, and
seeing what I do on Twitter
3. Send me stuff you think I’d be interested in that isn’t
from your institution – in the words of Denise
Graveline, pitch less, tip more

25. Do
1. Convince your researchers to return my staff’s phone
calls -- by deadline – and not talk in jargon
2. Get to know what I’m interested in, by reading it, and
seeing what I do on Twitter
3. Send me stuff you think I’d be interested in that isn’t
from your institution – in the words of Denise
Graveline, pitch less, tip more
4. Send me stories from high-impact journals that don’t
embargo

26. Do
1. Convince your researchers to return my staff’s phone
calls -- by deadline – and not talk in jargon
2. Get to know what I’m interested in, by reading it, and
seeing what I do on Twitter
3. Send me stuff you think I’d be interested in that isn’t
from your institution – in the words of Denise
Graveline, pitch less, tip more
4. Send me stories from good clinical journals that don’t
embargo
5. Cultivate relationships (call Roger Sergel:
rsergel@everydayhealthinc.com)