Don’t Do “The Seinfeld”
In the ever changing world of the news media, we’re seeing seismic shifts in the sands beneath our feet. The tried and true press release is under fire and social media has nearly obliterated the barbed wire between the media gatekeepers and those who seek their attention. That only heightens the importance of not wasting your ammo or a reporter’s time with bad pitches.
Based on my experience as a editor, reporter, blogger and broadcaster—not to mention as a PR-dude these past 18-plus years or so–here are three things you probably shouldn’t pitch to the media:
- Jim Got Promoted! Even business publications are getting picky about that sort of thing. If Jim in accounting has just been promoted to assistant director, that’s great–but it’s really only news to you. Post it on the company website, the Facebook page–even tweet it. But unless your firm is a major player in your industry–i.e., it’s the regular subject of attention of a beat reporter, skip the pitch.*
- We bought something! Sure, the new M-5 Computer Software you purchased will save scads of man-hours, but unless that translates into massive layoffs (or if it was a multi-multi-million dollar purchase that made M-5 a player in their industry), it’s probably not news.*
- The Seinfeld. This one, however, is the worst. There are companies/organizations that pitch stories about…nothing. Like the iconic 90s sitcom about nothing, there are businesses, companies and organizations that send out press releases and make pitches about virtually anything. I’m talking about new taglines or a remodeled employee snack bar type of stuff–which to a reporter usually means nothing. It wastes your time and it annoys the reporter.*
*There are always exceptions. Sometimes something will catch a reporter’s (blogger’s, editor’s, etc.) eye that conventional wisdom usually says will not. That’s life, but again, that’s the exception.
So there’s three things. There are about 500 more, but we’ll save that for another post.
There are lots of great blogs out there about sharpening your pitches– I like this post and this blog in general.
Lest I seem smug in my advice here, I unequivocally state that I’ve made more than my share of bad pitches–but I strive to do better. So don’t beat yourself up–just try not to make the same mistake twice–you’ll see an improvement in the quality of your media hits.
