Written by Robyn T. Braley
It’s about the angle. It doesn't matter how comprehensive and accurate your media contact list is if you don't have the basics of your story pitch down pat.
Every day the Media is inundated by story possibilities. You need unique, unusual and creative ideas to cut through the clutter.
An
editor, producer, reporter or show host will take 4-5 seconds to decide whether
to consider your pitch or to trash it.
How do you determine the strongest angle? Ask this simple but
pointed question.
“What difference will it
make?”
The answer will be your angle. It must be crafted to grab their attention.
Make it Stand
Out
An active service club has a wide range of projects that are ideal for
generating media coverage. These are just a few programs my club supports now
or have supported in the past. Your club will have similar stories to tell.
Education
Ø
Building schools in Guatemala
Ø Scholarships
for disadvantaged
Ø Funding
local lunch programs
Ø Local and
international school partnerships
Ø Funded
Simon the Safety Bear, a furry mascot. Helps police teach traffic safety to
kids
Homelessness
Ø
Funding purchase of kitchen equipment for a
shelter
Ø
Funding and volunteering to serve meals at a
shelter
Micro-credit
Ø
Funding programs in Africa, Dominican
Republic and Nepal
Ø Volunteering
to promote the cause locally and internationally
Ø Clean
water
Ø
Funding and volunteering to install filters
in
Health initiatives
Ø
Funding Alzheimer treatment programs
Ø Funding
addictions programs
Ø Funding
art program in a cancer centre
Ø Funding
and volunteering for polio vaccination missions in Africa and India
Ø Funding
the purchase and refurbishing used ambulances for Mexico
Ø
Funding and promoting organ transplant
awareness
Women’s issues
Ø
Funding domestic violence programs
Ø Funding
organizations rescuing child sex slaves
Ø
Funding and volunteering for teen pregnancy
programs
Sports
Ø
Funding playground equipment
Ø Funding
creation of Rotary Challenger Park for people with disabilities
Ø
Funding soccer program for Syrian refugee
children
Many
More…
Broaden
Your Base
Examine
your story from every perspective. O.K.! From every angle. You may discover a
number of potential sidebar angles within the bigger story.
Examine your story from every perspective.
O.K.! From every angle. You may discover a number of potential sidebar stories
within the bigger story. What journalist would be interested in that story?
Changing the World
Let’s create a
realistic example using a micro-credit project. Your club may have provided
seed funding and organized volunteers to go to a developing nation to work with
a local micro-credit project. Story angles that could spin out of the project
may include these.
Robyn Braley is a marketing specialist, keynote speaker and writer. He is also a Rotarian who is passionate about Building the Rotary Brand. He has led two teams that received the Rotary International PR Award. He has also served as the PR Chair for District 5360. Robyn has placed hundreds of traditional and new media stories about Rotary and other organizations.
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