by Colleen Flood*
The timing for the “Meet the Editors” roundtable at the Bulldog Media Relations Summit could not have been a better follow up to my BurrellesLuce colleague Tressa Robbins’ recent post, What Journalist Really Want from PR People. In fact, I had the opportunity to moderate two roundtables with journalists of highly regarded outlets. The morning session was with Brooke Siegel, entertainment editor of DailyCandy.com, and the afternoon session 
was with was Jake Dobkin, publisher of Gothamist.com. Both conveyed similar messages about pitching:
- Provide simple, concise details of what they need to write the story
- Send the type of story their outlet would include
Perhaps one of the biggest mistakes a PR person can make when pitching is sending the finished product. I heard from Dobkin and Siegel that “almost never do they use the ‘story’ as you send it.” And I am sure that most journalists would probably agree. Instead, they recommend “sending the details” and then “they will write the title and the story.” Be specific with details, especially in the subject line. Just be sure you don’t include the entire press release (in the subject line) – Siegel joked that this has happened to her and reached for her BlackBerry to show us, then remembered she had deleted it!
For Jake the details he must have include pictures, illustrations, or video. Since Gothamist.com is a blog it is important to lure the reader with visuals. Without any it is likely he will not do the story. Just don’t send large files. Instead provide photos via a “photo-drop box” like Flickr.
According to Dobkin, PR and media relations professionals should also know before pitching Gothamist.com that:
- Gothamist.com does 10 posts/day
- Audience is 18-34 year olds known as “affluent hipsters”
- Contact via email tips [at] gothamist.com
- Don’t call us – we’ll call you. Trust us, you will receive a call if we need additional information
- Provide videos via YouTube or embed with a code
As far as getting your story picked up by DailyCandy.com, Siegel provides some specifics:
- Dailycandy.com is committed to covering what’s new and undiscovered in 11 cities
- Audience is primarily geared towards women regarding fashion, food, and fun
- Exclusives are welcome
- They have a “deals email” that is a great way to establish brands
- No “enter to win” or giveaways
- How-to videos are welcome
- Always include a website; this is the “biggest business card you have”
It was a pleasure to meet Siegel and Dobkin in person. They are real people who work very hard to get their stories out to their audiences. And while some of their points were specific to their publications, I think the biggest lesson they offered was to remind participants how important it is to “research and know the outlet you are pitching.” Now, that’s a takeaway any savvy professional working with the media would do well to heed.
Are you pitching journalists they way they want to be pitched? What tips have journalists and bloggers given you for working with the media? Share your thoughts with the readers of BurrellesLuce Fresh Ideas.
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*Bio: Colleen Flood has been a sales consultant with BurrellesLuce for over 12 years and is eager to become a more integrated part of the social-public relations community. She primarily handles agency relations in the New York and New Jersey metro-area. She is not only passionate about work, but also about family, friends, and the Jersey Shore. Twitter: @cgflood LinkedIn: Colleen Flood Facebook: BurrellesLuce
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Laura Altimari and Denise G.. Denise G. said: great article by my colleague @cgflood: Tips for Pitching the Media @dailycandy @Gothamist http://budurl.com/by5h #mrs10 [...]
Hi. Thanks for the nod, but a couple of quick corrections. DailyCandy covers fashion, food, and fun (no makeup, as of yet). Also, my name is Brooke with an “e.”
Lovely meeting you as well.
Cheers,
Brooke
Hi Brooke,
Thank you so much for the clarification. I truly do appreciate your feedback and the post was updated accordingly. Once again it was a pleasure meeting you and I enjoyed all of your helpful tips.
Best,
Colleen
How on earth are we supposed to establish a relationship with the editors, writers, etc. if we don’t call them? I appreciate they’re busy and don’t want frivolous calls, but we need clarification, too.
Good point, Suzi.
That’s why it is especially important for us to learn a journalist’s/outlet’s communications preferences. In the case of the Gothamist.com, Dobkin was forthright in saying not to call him or his publication for a follow-up. (Perhaps an email would suffice?) However, other media may not feel that way. Again it goes back to doing the research before we pitch and giving them the relevant details, tailored to individual needs – not just blasting them with information we think they may want. If we do the former, then we probably will get that call and won’t have to worry too much about how we’re going to start to build that relationship because it would have already begun.
Best, Colleen
Excellent web site. Lots of helpful information here. I am sending it to several friends ans also sharing in delicious. And obviously, thank you on your effort!