Whether you are a freelance journalist or reporter for a newspaper or broadcaster, you will need to understand how best to pitch a story so that it is accepted by the editor.
Senior editorial staff are busy people who are already swamped with story ideas flooding in from correspondents and reporters, the wires, social media, and from checking on what their competing news outlets are covering.
If your story is to reach the audience you need to learn how to pitch the idea.
I got my first job in journalism in 1976 by posting stories through the letterbox of my local newspaper – email hadn’t been invented by then and nobody had mobile phones. My pitch was an envelope containing my story, along with a cover note.
The newspaper which served the town where I lived had three editions a week, published on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
I would read them all so that I knew what was current, what issues the newspaper focused on, what needed to be followed up, and who were regularly interviewed.
By doing this I was able to build up a good idea of the newspaper’s focus and who made up the newspaper’s target audience. I also began to figure out some gaps in coverage.
I noticed that the newspaper was great at publishing what local councillors had to say about issues, but not that great about including interviews with the general public.
So I decided to follow up some of the stories covered. I knocked on doors, interviewed local residents, found new angles, then typed up my stories and posted them through the newspaper’s front door.
In a covering note I explained that I didn’t want payment for the stories, but that I wanted a job.
I did this for a month during which just one of my five stories was published. After that piece appeared in the Tuesday edition the editor invited me to meet him in a local pub.
We chatted for about half an hour. He told me it was a good piece, but my writing needed to improve. Apparently the sub-editors had to work hard on my article before it could be published.
However he was impressed with my persistence, and my ‘nose for news’. He liked the way I had followed up on a current story, and that I had taken the time to find people in the community who had been affected.
He then offered me a job as a trainee newspaper reporter on condition that I learnt to touch type and write shorthand within a month by attending evening classes at a local secretarial college. I also had to pass an ‘essential law for journalists’ course. I was on probation for a month.
So, I had secured a job that had not been advertised by pitching a story that appealed to the editor because it was about an issue that his reporting staff had not covered, was timely in terms of being about a current topic, was original and revealed a new angle, included people, was written in the newspaper’s style (after being worked on by the subs desk), and which would appeal to his target audience.
I doubt the events set out above would happen today, which is why we have put together a simple Media Helping Media guide for how to pitch a story.
How to pitch a news story to an editor
Pitching a news story to a busy editor requires strategic planning, persistence, and a deep understanding of their publication’s needs.
Step 1: Know your target publication and audience
Before you craft a single word of your pitch, you must do your homework. Thorough reading and analysis of the publication you’re targeting is essential.
- Read everything: Consume every edition or broadcast to understand what is current, the specific issues the news outlet focuses on, and what stories need a follow-up.
- Identify the target audience: Figure out who makes up the news outlet’s target audience and what type of content appeals to them.
- Spot gaps in coverage: Look for what the publication is not covering. Any gaps could become the foundation for your successful pitch.
Step 2: Develop a timely, original, and relevant story idea
Your pitch needs to show that you have a “nose for news”, often described as news sense. This means you can spot a story. Be sure to offer something the editor hasn’t already published.
- Be timely (current): Your story should be about a current topic. Reference ongoing discussions or recent events.
- Offer a new angle (original): Don’t just rehash old news. Find a fresh perspective. This can be done by following up on a current story to reveal a new, people-focused angle.
- Include people: Stories that include people – especially those affected by an issue – are often more attractive to editors and audiences. Human interest adds depth and emotional appeal.
Step 3: Craft the pitch for the editor
Whether you submit your news story pitch in an envelope with a cover note (as in the past) or a concise email (today’s method), your pitch needs to be clear, compelling, and tailored to the editor’s needs.
- Write in the publication’s style: While sub-editors may polish your work, try to write in the news outlet’s style as much as possible. This shows you understand their house rules and makes their job easier.
- Make it concise: Senior editorial staff are busy. Your pitch must quickly convey the story’s value.
- Explain the appeal: State clearly why the story would appeal to the news outlet’s target audience. Tie it back to the gaps you identified in their regular coverage.
Step 4: Show persistence and initiative
Pitching stories needs persistence and initiative. Continue to think through ways of reaching the editor without becoming a nuisance.
Don’t give up: Persistence is essential if you are to get your stories accepted. Don’t be disheartened by the first knock-back – there will be many. Continuing to provide relevant, well-researched pitches, even after rejection, builds a professional reputation.
By thoroughly researching the outlet, generating a timely and original angle, focusing on human impact, and demonstrating unwavering persistence, you significantly increase the chances of your news story being accepted by an editor.
