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Get Your Story Heard10 Tips on Pitching Your Preservation Story to the News Media

Before pitching your story to a media outlet, make sure you’ve done all your research on the place or project you’re sharing. It’s vital that all facts be correct, and you know all aspects of your story.

1. Know your story.

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Be familiar with the focus of each publication you’re pitching to (and its reporters’ beats), so you can gauge which story fits best with which outlet.

For example, the Milwaukee Sentinel would be a good fit for pitching a preservation story of interest to the local audience in Milwaukee, while the Huffington Post may be interested in a story for a national audience.

2. Know your media outlet.

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Once you’ve done your research, create a media contact list that captures all your target reporters and outlets. For instance, if you’re covering an event to support an historic home in the community, start your search with top publications in the area, and then narrow it to reporters who cover preservation and/or local events.

3. Develop a media list.

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When you first pitch a reporter, whether by phone or email, let them know who you are and what you’re doing with this preservation project. Make sure to get the point across in the first few sentences of the pitch.

4. Identify yourself.

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Call a reporter whom you think will be the most receptive and let them know about the story you’re working on. Have your questions planned in advance and be prepared with answers for any questions they may have. Their responses and feedback will help you refine the pitch for later outreach.

5. Test the pitch.

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Make your pitch interesting and eye-catching. You want it to stand out from dozens of other requests that reporters get every day. Share what makes a site you’re writing about unique, or why a certain project is attractive and valuable for the surrounding community.

6. Stand out.

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When emailing a reporter, keep the message short and to the point. You want to pique their interest but not overwhelm them with details. Recognize that reporters may only have a short amount of time to hear what you pitch and decide if they’d like to pursue the story, so think “elevator speech,” not “doctoral dissertation.”

7. Keep email pitches brief.

In today’s world, more and more reporters use social media as a way of connecting. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. are all superb ways to connect with reporters and establish friendly relationships.

8. Use social media.

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After pitching your story, follow up with the reporter to clarify any questions they may have regarding your story. That said, be sure not to contact them too frequently within a short period of time -- you want to be respectful of their schedule and workload.

9. Follow up.

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Once your story is published, thank the reporter and let them know where it will be shared within your network. This will help foster a good relationship with the reporter and media outlet, and increase your chances for additional coverage later.

10. Say thank you.

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Ten on Tuesday features ten preservation tips each week. For more tips, visit blog.PreservationNation.org.