Examples of good, great, and yes, bad PR pitches were up for discussion at the PRSA Young Professionals Happy Hour Plus: Mingle with the Media last week. After kicking the evening off with informal chatter, a giant plate of sushi and Sushi Hai drink specials, the group of more than 40 professionals moved into an adjoining room to hear what the four journalists had to say.
Young Professionals Co-Chair Ashley Pritchard provided a quick bio for each of the speakers – all of whom have recognizable names and work for popular publications and stations in Denver. Ashley then led with the first question, asking each woman to share their general tips for grabbing their attention.
Suzanne Brown of the Denver Post spoke first, and shared a quote that would be repeated numerous times throughout the evening, “Pitch a story, not a product.” All the other panelists agreed. Erica McClaugherty, a producer at Fox 31/CW2, elaborated, saying, “TV is a visual medium. I need to know what we will be able to show our viewers.”
“And know my audience,” Emily Makinzie, morning show producer and host at Mix 100, shared in the segment where the journalists shared their PR-related horror stories. Tales included unprepared pitches where flacks didn’t even know who they were calling, unanswered emails or calls after a journalist decides to run a story and filling inboxes with unsolicited photos. Associated Press journalist Rema Rahman summed it up, “Don’t put roadblocks in our way.”
Questions from the audience circled around basic worries for PR pros: like, do journalists want an email or phone call first? Unanimous answer: Email. How many times should we follow up? Most agreed that three emails or phone calls is the max, with Erica saying that if she if she receives more than that she won’t do a story!
But, the panel also disagreed. Rema wouldn’t mind being contacted via Twitter, while others Emily and Erica aren’t even on the social media site. Erica wants to see her name in an email subject line to know it’s not a blanket pitch, while Suzanne wants to see key details of the story to be compelled to open the email.
Ashley invited the panelists to share final thoughts before attendees were again able to freely mingle. Emily summed it up, “Just remember, all of us – journalists, producers and PR professionals – are trying to get somewhere together.”
Save the date for the next PRSA Young Professionals Book Club on Monday, July 9, at 6 p.m. at Forest Room 5. Check back to PRSAColoradoBlog.org for details on the next Happy Hour Plus scheduled for mid-September.
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