Pitching a Story to a Reporter

Rarely will sending a press release result in a reporter covering your story. Instead, you also must follow up by “pitching” your story through phone calls to selected editors and reporters. Reporters receive scores of press releases and story ideas each week, so it’s important that you call and tell them – in 30 seconds – why you believe T’ai Chi Chih® would be an interesting story for their readers/viewers/listeners.

Try to reach the reporter in person so you can briefly outline the highlights of T’ai Chi Chih, and try to get the reporter’s interest. Given his or her extremely high volume of mail, e-mail and phone calls, this may be the first time the reporter has heard about your ideas.

Set aside time the day after the reporter should have received your press release (by mail or e-mail) to make the phone call. Making “cold” calls to people you don’t know can be intimidating, but most reporters and editors don’t mind getting these calls – they depend on them for new story ideas. Here are some tips to make this task easier.

1. Call at the right time. Call a full week before a scheduled T’ai Chi Chih demonstration to give a reporter time to prepare for it and inform his or her editor. Call when the reporter is not likely to be “on deadline” – it’s usually best to call early in the day. Even then, always ask journalists if they have time to hear about your story. Don’t ask if they got your release; even if they did they may have forgotten or misplaced it. Assume they know nothing about your story and say something like this:

“Hello, I’m Anna Lopez, a local T’ai Chi Chih teacher, and I have a great story for you about how people in our city are improving their health through a moving meditation. Is this a good time to talk?”

2. Be prepared. Be familiar with the work of the reporter you’re calling, and know what you want to say.

Call the reporter’s direct line or call the newsroom and ask for the reporter by name. When s/he answers, be able to present your story idea in 30 seconds. If necessary, write a script in advance and read it (but try to sound natural) when you make the call. (See “Talking Points” for more information.)

Emphasize the newsworthy elements – an upcoming public T’ai Chi Chih demonstration; the fact that more than 100 people in your city have already taken at least one class; the fact that no other reporter in your city has yet reported on T’ai Chi Chih, even though the Los Angeles Daily News, the University of California and the University of Wisconsin have all have reported on T’ai Chi Chih’s health benefits.

You might say:

“I teach a form of moving meditation called T’ai Chi Chih, which is very popular in [the name of your city]. More than 100 people have taken my classes and are reporting great health benefits. More than 2,000 people teach T’ai Chi Chih nationwide, and studies at the University of California at Los Angeles medical school, the University of Wisconsin, and other places have reported the great health benefits. I’d like to invite you to a public demonstration [on date] so you can see what it’s like. Would you be interested?”

…or…if no demonstration is scheduled, you can finish with: “I can provide you with copies of academic studies, news reports, and would be happy to talk with you further about this very interesting form of meditation. Would you like to talk further, or can I e-mail or send you some background information?”

Then be prepared (see “Talking Points”) in case the reporter has questions right away. Mention that you sent a press release recently, so s/he can pull it up if interested.

The reporter will take it from there. S/he will ask you more questions if interested, or will politely tell you it’s just not the right story at this time.

If s/he isn’t interested, don’t be discouraged – try the next reporter you think might be interested. And you never know – the same reporter might call you back in a few months and report the story then.

3. Be prepared to re-send your press release and additional background information. Even though you already mailed or e-mailed a press release, the reporter may ask you to re-send it right away, along with additional background information. Be prepared to fax or email the information. Journalists often misplace your releases in the piles of incoming mail and e-mails they receive every day, and it’s easier to send a fresh copy when the story is on their minds.

4. Be ready with specifics. Keep a copy of your press release and your Talking Points or script with you when you make the call. Know which examples, reports, or first-hand stories you want to tell if the reporter wants to talk with you right then. Be prepared to give out the names and phone numbers of a few other people (preferably senior teachers) who have agreed in advance they would be willing to be interviewed about their T’ai Chi Chih experiences. Know your points so well that you can answer most of the reporter’s questions then and there.

If, however, s/he asks you a question for which you don’t know the answer, it’s fine to say that you don’t know but will find out. Then do, and call the reporter back within 24 hours – or sooner, if they need the information to make their deadline.

5. Offer to do whatever you can to make a reporter’s job easier. Journalists often have too much to do in too little time, and they are more likely to do stories that are easy for them to research and report. So send any background information they request right away, in whatever way they say is best – by e-mail, fax, or other method. If you’ve invited them to a demonstration, be sure they have the address, driving directions, and a convenient parking space when they arrive.

6. Be pleasant and upbeat, but don’t preach. You might believe T’ai Chi Chih has saved your life, but tell that to a reporter gently, and stick with the larger story. Reporters like enthusiasm and conviction, but they want to report a story that has “facts” and will be interesting to a larger audience, even skeptics.

A good rule of thumb is to keep any story, including details of your own positive experiences, to just 30 seconds each. Always pause at the end of each (30-second) point to let the reporter respond and ask questions.

7. Keep the interview on track. Keep your list of Talking Points with you when talking to a reporter, on the phone or in person, so you can keep the interview on track. If the reporter gets into topics or perspectives that are not central to what you’re trying to communicate, gently steer the interview back to your main points.

For example: Let’s say a reporter, by coincidence, used to take T’ai chi classes. He might ask you a question like “Are there any studies that show that T’ai Chi Chih is better than T’ai chi?” Don’t get lost in this comparison, which is really not important to your story and is not something about which you have any knowledge. Instead, just say, “I’ve only studied T’ai Chi Chih and can tell you it has great benefits.” Then give him an example from your own life or from a student’s to underscore that point.

8. Remember: It’s T’ai Chi CHIH! Once a reporter has agreed to tell your story, remind him or her a few times that this is not T’ai chi – it’s T’ai Chi Chih (see “Talking Points”), because people hearing about T’ai Chi Chih for the first time may have trouble remembering this.

9. Practice can help you be more effective. If you’re new at working with reporters, practice with a friend in advance to see what a “pitching” phone call or interview might feel like. Have your friend play the role of a busy but friendly reporter asking you questions. Practice until you feel reasonably confident, and then send out your press release and make follow-up calls.