10 Tips to Craft Compelling Pitches in a Skeptical Media World
By Michelle Ubben for PRNews
In this fast-changing world with nearly limitless ways to get your message out, independent coverage from credible media outlets remains the Holy Grail. But there’s a reason it’s called earned media—PR professionals have to work hard and employ smart strategies to attract reporter attention and win hard-earned coverage. Given the evolving media landscape, organizations seeking coverage can look to these 2024 trends to inform their outreach efforts and boost their chances of success.
1. Earned Media Will Matter More Than Ever
Given the rise of false news, including fake AI-generated content, securing media coverage from credible sources will be more valuable than ever. Look for organizations to move ad spend dollars to put more emphasis on public relations in the quest to generate media coverage. Stories that embed an external link to clients’ websites will be the gold standard—and the highest value. But it’s also the hardest to achieve. Brands will need a well-thought-out strategy and in-demand, proprietary content for a chance at this prize.
2. Hone the Art of the Pitch
According to Muck Rack, most reporters receive five pitches a day—and many get a lot more. A scattergun approach—spraying a press release to hundreds of media targets who have no particular interest in the subject matter—will not only generate zero outcomes, it may get your organization blacklisted. Make sure your pitch is succinct, tailored, carries a strong subject line, and includes everything a reporter needs to easily develop a story, including links to data and sources and an accessible interview subject.
3. Credibility Matters
Trust is the currency of the realm. AI will continue to proliferate in 2024, speeding content creation but also dramatically increasing the spread of misinformation. Journalists cite combating fake news as their number one challenge an issue raised by more than 1 in 4 reporters in a recent Cision survey. That means trusted news sources will be more valuable than ever. As important as it is to make reporters’ jobs easy, it’s even more important to be accurate, verifying your own information and linking to original source material.
4. Put Your Best Face Forward
While brands often want to elevate the CEO as the face of the organization, media outlets may be more receptive to a credible subject-matter expert as an interview subject. As the news media struggles to avoid manipulation and combat fake news, look for more outlets to turn to academia as a source of solid, verifiable information. Take advantage of that trend by identifying, media training and promoting your own internal experts who have academic chops.
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