How to pitch to journalists (Part two) – It’s all about YOU
What? “But you just told us that It’s not about You,” I hear you asking. Now that you’ve learnt how not to make your pitch about you and your business (Part one), let me introduce you to an all-important element of the story pitch – human interest.
A human-interest story is one that is about people, emotions, connections, and community.
People love stories about people. Their triumph, loss, joy, sadness, health, sickness, love, anger, peace, and turmoil. The list goes on. It is why the media is full of human-interest stories.
So, if you have an interesting personal story that aligns with what a journalist or media reports on, then your story pitch should absolutely be about YOU.
Take these two articles for example. ‘Kindness is contagious too: The neighbours living in close confines spreading love, not germs’ was published in The Age, during the first COVID lockdown. The pitch focused on the kindness of people and the role of technology in bringing together hundreds of people living in apartment blocks.
And Cate Tumewa founded GimmeNow, a geo-aware online marketplace that allows you to shop at various local businesses and receive them in one delivery within two hours. Her story Q&A: An integrated marketplace for a better online shopping experience was featured in Inside Small Business magazine and pitched as a human interest story.
However, even with human interest stories, it’s crucial to continue to highlight what we talked about in Part one – what’s new and exciting, and how you’re changing people’s lives.
Need help with pitching your story? Feel free to drop me an email at ping@pingpublicity.com.au
Want to read more articles like this? Visit my website www.pingpublicity.com.au
