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Essentials in
Get Famous
Getting more free publicity
Lorin May offers a few pointers on pitching your story to the local news media
Updated: 2/13/2004 11:28:00 AM
-- Lorin May, editor of The Harmonizer
There’s nothing better than getting featured in a prime radio, TV or newspaper story. Here’s a secret: it usually will happen when someone has asked for it. If you merely send press release about a concert to “the media” (accompanied by a photo of a bunch of identically dressed guys on risers), expect to see it buried in the back pages, if it runs at all. The secret to pitching a story to “the media” is this: If you know the rules of business-to-business courtesy, you already know most of what you need to know.
Don’t prepare to talk to “the newspaper” or “the station”—prepare to talk to a human being. People often talk about “the media” as if it’s some mysterious all-powerful entity. (To tell the truth, we who work in the media kind of like that perception—it makes us feel powerful!) However, every decision is simply made by a flesh and blood person, usually with a title like “program manager” or “editor.” These people may be happy to give you good publicity if you give them a good reason.
Send someone who knows how to sell. Let your best writer do your writing and get the best action photography you can afford. But when it comes to getting your foot in the door, let someone who’s good at face-to-face meetings make the initial contacts. Someone who projects a professional image will be treated as a professional.
Your desire for publicity is your problem, not theirs. Don’t show up to ask for something —go there to offer something that solves her need to fill a page or air time with something fun and unique. Be prepared to pitch a story or idea that would appeal to a lot of people, and which wouldn’t use up too many of her resources. It’s hard to say “no” to someone who’s offering to save you a lot of work.
Come up with a unique hook. There are dozens of groups having concerts in town, but how many of them feature an 87-year-old tenor? How many are donating net proceeds to the homeless shelter? How many are traveling to Montreal to compete against to world’s best? How many have a show featuring an international champion quartet? Give them a hook, give them some sounds and photos, and get them thinking outside the box.
Respect their time. Editors and program managers are very busy people with constant deadlines. To them, time well spent is time spent with people who have equipped them to make a good decision immediately. Know what idea you’re going to pitch, and pitch it well in advance of the desired publicity date— otherwise, they’ll have something else slated for “your” spot. Prepare a very short presentation and bring some brief press releases and interesting photos, and some high-quality audio or video clips. If she doesn’t have what she needs to make a preliminary decision in a few minutes time, the answer will likely be “No.”
Be flexible. The program manager liked your Singing Valentine video and thought your idea has potential. Yes! He doesn’t want to do live feeds of your best quartet’s deliveries throughout the morning show. Darn! Okay, how about five minutes in the studio with the hosts? No? How about some 10 seconds before and after a couple of commercial breaks, and you can follow the quartet next year? YES! Remember: if your first idea doesn’t work for him, maybe another one will.
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