Category: Media Engagement

When I’m pitching a story, I approach a reporter like I’m talking to a colleague or a friend. Instead of trying to create a false sense of urgency, I try to offer a helping hand by drawing their attention to something—just in case they may have missed it. Reporters, especially beat reporters, talk to a […]

There seems to be a lot of mystery around how to pitch an influencer versus how to pitch a journalist. To demystify things, we first need to answer, “What is the essential difference between journalists and influencers?” The role of the journalist For most journalists, their material gets read because it has the imprimatur, or […]

So, you discover from your research that the reporter you’re pitching to—or their news outlet—has recently done a story similar to the one you’re pitching. Don’t let that stop you! With a few prepped responses you can still turn things around. The key is to acknowledge their previous work, and then immediately pivot to what […]

A report might sound like the dullest, most boring thing you can pitch. But to the journalist who specializes in a particular beat, reports are catnip. Reports usually have lots of data. And beat reporters—especially those in the tech world—geek out on data. When it comes to pitching reports, I like to use the phone […]

In your quest to go viral, don’t forget that, although your digital reach may be global, all news is still local. Whether it’s local newsletters, blogs or podcasts, local radio, local affiliate news, or the weekly newspaper, they all crave stories that aren’t just relevant, but feel close to home. And remember, they all have websites […]