(VIDEO) How to Come Up With a Pitch Television News Producers Will Love

BONUS FREEBIE: Your message deserves the media’s attention. So how do you get out there in a bigger way? I’ve got you covered. CLICK HERE to grab my free “Checklist to Become a Go-To Media Expert.”

Pitching the media is not an exact science.

You could have the best pitch in the world and it might not be the right time or place for it.

There were plenty of times when I worked as a TV news producer when I would have a good pitch from a go-to expert but it might be something that worked better when tied to an event or maybe it was just missing a little something.

So then what do you do?

I recently caught up with Theresa Lyons, PhD who is an autism advocate trying to get her cause out there in the media. Theresa got a bit of traction on a recent pitch, but it just wasn’t quite clicking for the producers.

Check out the video to see me and Theresa workshop her pitch and find a couple of ways to really get the most out of it.

Here are some of my top tips:

Cultivate relationships with producers – Just because they can’t use your pitch now, doesn’t mean they won’t want to in future. It helps to check back in with producers you’ve worked with before. If they know you’re a good expert they’ll be happy to have you back time and time again.

Reference current events – When I’m producing a segment one of the things I might think is, “why now?” “Why does this topic matter today?”

Theresa tied her pitch to ongoing lawsuit with the Academy Awards that is going on for people with autism. This makes her pitch topical in awards season. Having a pitch tied to a current story helps to justify to the producer why it has to be covered now.

The ONE problem – Producers will avoid a pitch that’s just about one event or one book like the plague. Why? Because it seems like the segment is just a marketing ploy for that one thing. Happens all the time – ribbon cuttings, product launches, etc. Make sure your pitch has lots of different angles so the audience will feel like they’re getting a complete story.

Make it personal – Not everyone is going to know the ins and out of what your topic entails. In Theresa’s case – what it’s like to live with autism. Theresa’s story has people’s sympathy, but they might not understand the greater context of it. By finding a personal angle to the segment the audience can invest in someone’s story. In Theresa’s case they can understand why it’s so important to help people with autism get jobs and gain a bit of independence.

Tell a visual story – If you’re trying to pitch for TV remember you have to have visual elements. You’re not just explaining something to camera, you want them to be able to see it too. Often it’s the visuals from a segment that will stick in the audience’s mind.

Expect a little back and forth – Nothing is ever easy, and that’s very true of trying to craft a pitch. Sometimes you’ll contact a producer, they’ll love it and you’ll be booked. But most of the time they’ll try to mold the pitch and segment as much as possible. Which means at least a few emails and phone calls back and forth. Don’t let it deter you – the producers want the same thing as you, the best segment possible! Go with the flow and get booked!

BONUS FREEBIE: Your message deserves the media’s attention. So how do you get out there in a bigger way? I’ve got you covered. CLICK HERE to grab my free “Checklist to Become a Go-To Media Expert.”