Author: Annie Scranton — CEO, Pace Public Relations
As a former TV news producer, broadcast is in my DNA. I’m constantly scouring the news, flipping amongst cable networks and keeping up with my former colleagues. But for those in PR who don’t have a background in PR, pitching and securing broadcast can seem like an impossible task. I’m here to help with a few simple tips so you can hopefully land that big TV interview you’ve been chasing.
Newsjack
Though I don’t love the phrase, it is kind of the perfect term to describe aligning your client with a relevant news story. Cable and network TV follow the news cycle very closely. Couple that with their wide-ranging audiences and you likely won’t find a home on a cable network to cover your company’s latest hire. But what you could do successfully is positioning your CEO as a talking head on a trending, major news story that the networks are likely to cover.
Make it a routine to search for relevant keywords daily in your news searches and read appropriate news articles to get ideas for newsjacking. Subscribe to the trades and then share ideas with your CEO – ask her or him for their thoughts on a big news story that you feel confident in pitching to the networks. Seek out something really relevant in their background that’s germane to the news story at hand, and see if any of their talking points are counter-intuitive. These are all kernels that add up into one whole, strong pitch for producers.
Know who you’re pitching
Speaking of those producers, it’s of the utmost importance that you understandclearly which show they produce for. Look them up online and on social media. WATCH one of their shows, or at least some of the clips online. This will inform you to the types of stories you should be pitching. In those segments, there are likely to be experts interviewed – this research will also give you ideas for how to best position your CEO so they can be the one being interviewed next time.
Follow-Up
Pitching to TV producers can be a blackhole, with limited responses, but following up in a timely manner can move the needle sometimes. Also- it’s OK to wait for the right moment. Not every story is going to work. But if you build a meaningful relationship with the producer, and wait for the absolute bes time to pitch – you might just get that big break you’ve been looking for.