The document provides tips for pitching news stories to editors and reporters. It emphasizes narrowing topics to specific incidents or angles and researching to demonstrate news value and reader interest. Pitches should be succinct and consider the editor's perspective. Pitchers should have alternative story ideas prepared in case the initial pitch is challenged. Good stories have news value, exclusivity, a unique or local angle, or tie into broader trends.

1. Pitching News Stories

2. Specificity
• Flesh out the details of your pitch
• A general topic is not enough
• Example:
– “College drinking” is too broad a topic
– Narrow it down
– Use a specific incident as a springboard for the topic and then dig
deeper to find the angle
– Why is there a problem? Has the problem increased compared to last
year? What is being done about it? Etc. etc. etc…

3. Research
• Research before you pitch your story idea
• Is this really a new idea or a new angle?
• What makes it news?
• Why will a journalist or the public care?
• Why does it matter to your readers?

4. Succinctness
• Keep the pitch clean and focused
• “Edit your thoughts” before the pitch
• The main point should be easily understood
• To some degree, you are “selling” the idea
and you may only get one shot!

5. Think Like An Editor
• Put yourselves in the position of the editor or
reporter you are pitching
• What are they looking for?
• What will they respond positively to?
• What does the readership and publisher
want?

6. “Plan B”
• Be prepared to be challenged
• Have a few “alternative angles” prepared so
that you can save your pitch

7. What makes a good story?
• Substantial news value
• Exclusivity
• Being first
• Unique angle
• Local angle of national story
• Overcoming adversity
• Solving a common problem
• Ties into a national trend