One Story Five Headlines

Imagine you have a story that includes several elements of a great story: celebrity involvement, public recognition, a large monetary transaction. You compile a target media list, write a press release and send it out over the wire and pitch it everywhere. And crickets. You're scrambling to get coverage, all the while wasting precious time that makes the story newsworthy. 

It can be tempting to take a one-size-fits-all approach to pitching, but even the most compelling story needs a strategy. Securing better placements boils down to pitching smarter, not harder. 

Every outlet approaches a story from a different angle, with a unique set of values, priorities, and interests that inform their reporting. Understanding these differences is the key to pitching stories that get picked up. 

Hypothetically, let’s consider a story about a new scientific report that links social media use to mental health issues. How might different outlets report on this story? 

The New York Times: The NYT is known for in-depth reporting with a focus on policy and social issues. We might expect a health reporter at the newspaper to highlight the broader implications of the study on public health, discuss potential government action, reference medical professionals and potentially discuss next steps.

CNN: CNN is a 24-hour news network that focuses on breaking news and current events. They are more likely to cover the story as a breaking news item, with a summary of the findings and reactions from experts.

Buzzfeed: Buzzfeed focuses on viral content and pop culture. If they cover the report at all, it would likely focus on relatable ways excessive smartphone use has impacted people's lives.

Now let’s look at a few real headlines about smartphone use and its impact on young people from these outlets: 

New York Times: Social Media is Linked to Brain Changes in Teens, Research Finds

CNN: Increasing social media use tied to rise in teens’ depressive symptoms, study says

Buzzfeed: Quitting Social Media May Actually Help Calm Your Broken Online Brain

The same story, all with different resulting stories. 

Understanding these nuances is often the difference between successful and unsuccessful media campaigns. Because, ultimately: 

Pitching the wrong outlet the wrong way will drastically minimize your chances of securing a pickup.

It can add hours of work to your day with little reward, and worse, can develop a reputation for the brand (and yourself) as someone whose emails should be ignored. 

Keep in mind that outlets receive hundreds of pitches every day, and if you can make it easy for them to see the value and relevance of your story, you are more likely to get a positive result. 

Understanding an outlet’s coverage, focus, and style can help you anticipate issues and avoid angry clients. 

When you understand an outlet's focus and style, you can anticipate interest, story angles, and even hard-hitting questions. Understanding who you should pitch to and how you should pitch them can help you secure placements that align with your goals, help you prepare responses to tough questions, and help you avoid negative coverage. 

Pitching smarter can really pay off, so take the time to research and understand each outlet you pitch. 

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Every week we post headlines from five outlets covering one story to our Instagram to reinforce the different ways major outlets cover the same topics.