In the age-old tussle between public relations practitioners and the media, pitches take considerable heat. In fact, a blog is devoted to bad pitches.
Previously, I worked for a large organization in a small town. The local newspaper wanted story ideas – it just wouldn’t accept ideas that came directly from the organization’s communications office; the paper has an unofficial, though frequently cited, policy against publishing information that came from press releases. The organization, on the other hand, requires media to work with its communications office if it wants news.
Two conflicting needs arose: the newspaper wants “unique” news that no other outlet will receive; the organization wants to share its news with local audiences as well as in a larger geographical area. What was a PR practitioner to do? One strategy we incorporated was to “pitch” media through social media, a practice we found to be successful.
In general, PR practitioners may find media receptive to pitches through social media because inboxes may be flooded and social media is easier to wade through. In addition, reporters may be monitoring social media to stay on top of news.
“Though traditional media is sometimes still a more trusted source of information, I have found many journalists to be more accessible and attentive over social media than email or voicemail/phone,” says Corina Newby, a communications officer at Supernova in Toronto, Ont. “Social media is my go to for anything requiring me to quickly access key influencers, and initiate a viral spread of information.”
Here are a few tips.
Not sure this strategy will work? Here are some successes:
What are some of your successes or tips?
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