Producers, assignment editors, and reporters are inundated with hundreds of faxes, emails, and press kits every day from individuals and companies just like you that are vying for free television face time. Your primary job is to create credibility in the first few seconds you have that news person on the phone to make sure you stand out among the masses.
Following are three things you must know before you kill your story without even knowing it.
#1: Don't pitch blindly
When pitching to someone in the newsroom, always get permission to pitch. So many times, you're calling the newsroom when there's major breaking news or big deadlines approaching. Asking for permission to pitch lets the producer know you value their time and that you know how hectic it can be in the newsroom. This bolsters your credibility. Every time you call a newsroom, news people are "guessing" if you would be good on camera. Your credibility is assessed during those first few seconds on the phone.
#2: Timing is everything
Never call during a newscast. Calling during a newscast will have your pitch completely die before you open your mouth. Calling during a newscast tells the folks in the newsroom that you don't get how a newsroom works. In the media world this means, once again, that you have no credibility. Producers and editors fill their newscast with credible stories, experts, and topics. Newsrooms are very busy just before a newscast and during actual airtime. Take this rule one step further and never call one hour before airtime unless you have a major breaking story and want to help your media contact. For the evening news, stretch that time even more. If your local news starts at 5 p.m., don't call after 3 p.m. There are many editorial meetings taking place. Tensions are high, and newsrooms are humming with producers and reporters getting ready. Many television markets have 5 p.m., 5:30 p.m., and 6 p.m. shows. That usually means a reporter has a television hit in each show and is very busy after 3 p.m.
#3: Never pitch an old story
Don't pitch a story in January on how to conduct spring cleaning on your insurance portfolio -- it already aired eight months ago. Don't pitch a piece in May on how to save taxes -- they already did it last year. When you pitch stories that have already been covered, you're telling your media contacts that you are not media savvy and don't understand how TV news works. What does that mean in the newsroom? Again -- no credibility.
How important is your credibility? When making a cold call -- which means you haven't got any relationships in that newsroom -- you must dazzle them with your credibility within the first 10 seconds of opening your mouth -- otherwise, you've effectively killed your story before they've even heard it.
Shawne Duperon is a TV producer and can be reached through www.shawnetv.com.
