How to Pitch a Journalist in the Digital Age

What is the best way to pitch a journalist in the digital age? I’m David Gerzof Richard, president andfounder of Big Fish PR, and I’ll tell you: it’s not “spray and pray.” That’s the old way of disseminating news. Sending news all over the Internet in mass spam emails will get you nowhere, it will take a lot of time, and it will frustrate journalists to the point where they may even blacklist you.

Find The Right Reporter To Pitch Your Story

The right way to pitch a journalist in the digital age is to first do your research. Use the search tools available to you look at which reporters reporting on… what? You’ll find that you have this great resource called the Internet that will peel back the layers of mystery on who’s writing what stories, and you’ll understand who it is that you want to target. Once you do that, you will understand what the audience is for that reporter. You can prepare pitch a new story that you know strike at the head and the heart of that audience and of that reporter. When is the right fit, there’s a good chance that reporter is he going to say no, or at least they’ll give you 15 seconds of time to point you in the right direction.

Doing PR The Modern Way

So this is the right way to do it: one shot, one kill. Instead of spraying out press releases everywhere, maybe write a press release but don’t put it on a newswire. Send it right to that one reporter and explain really quickly why it’s important to them and to their audience.