Pitching the Story

MPR professionals need to persuade connectors to use their message. It must be positioned as newsworthy. Common themes defining newsworthiness often include the following:

Firsts
Trends
Local, quirky personalities
The underdog
Impact on the audience
Something of an unusual nature

Part 1: Pre-Pitch

Using one of the companies that you began developing in the Unit 2 Individual Project, create a story that you wish to shop to a media outlet. Use the following guidelines:

Provide a brief overview of the company.

Describe the media outlet being pitched. Include information on its target audience (the media outlet must be real).

Part 2: Writing an Effective Pitch Letter

Write the pitch letter, which should include the following:

An attention-grabbing opening
The "hook"
Background information supporting the pitch
Support materials
The action step

Part 3: Follow-up and Other Considerations

Describe your follow-up plan.

Discuss the special considerations for pitching a blogger.