Pitching to broadcasters: some must-know results

Pitching to broadcasters: some must-know results

Katie Puckett

Pitching to broadcasters and reporters is a well-known strategy of any public relations professional. In May 2007, DS Simon Productions asked 79 participants in a nationwide survey of reporters and broadcasters, to rate PR pros and give insight on how story decisions are made in the newsroom. The respondents also address the growing role of management in newsrooms. If you want to get your client in the news, here are some things to think about before pitching to a broadcaster:

   56.4% of broadcasters love to be pitched by e-mail;

   41.3% hate being pitched by telephone, and 27.6% hate being pitched by fax;

   38.4% think that only 1/3 of PR people are knowledgeable about their programs

   95.7% of reporters and producers work on stories that appear on their Web site;

   52.2% said that their station's Web site could be pitched separately from newscasts;

   95.5% said that their Web site uses multi-media content;

   Only 16% of stations are banned from using third-party video; and,

   Healthcare stories are still in most demand - 79.1% of respondents expressed high

   interest in health stories.

 

As the results show, when pitching to broadcasters and reporters PR professionals should use multiple outlets such as the station’s Web site to get the client and story out there. PR pros should also keep in mind that, when pitching, they need to give the reporter or producer tools to sell the story to their manager. The story or press release should be newsworthy and timely or it won’t have a chance ending up on air. If you want feedback, the phone is the most important part of an effective pitch, but the results prove that broadcasters prefer e-mail pitching above all else.