1.CRAFTING THE PITCHSTEP 1 THE SUBJECT HEADLINE Develop catchy Subject Headline that will cause thereporter not to delete your email. SAMPLE SUBJECT HEADLINESEditors: Marathon Madness: What to Know Before & After Race DayNEWS FROM PARENTING.COM: Homework help; moms who rock; theback-to-school statistic you need to knowAAA: Are Car Seats any easier to install?

2. THE LEADThe lead is the introductory paragraph - it should have a hook that engages your reader from the first sentence. It could be a ripped from the headlines story; a startling statistic or an announcement of a product or service that has never been seen before.A lead can also reference a story the writer has recently covered this will show that you are not blindly pitching the story. Youre pitching them because you thought they would be interested in it. 3. BULLET POINTS Your second paragraph should contain 3-5 bullet points includingimportant and interesting facts about the subject you are pitching: From a recent holiday gift guide pitch from Panasonic: New Panasonic NB-G110P FlashXpress Toaster Oven with atemperature keypad for precise temperature control and digital timer toprevent overcooking, this toaster oven can prepare a variety of holidayappetizers from frozen foods to pizza. Available at a suggested retailprice of $129.95. New Panasonic SR-DF101 and SR-DF181 Microcomputer FuzzyLogic Rice Cookers- adjust power depending on how much food isbeing cooked for precise cooking and consistent results. Clearly labeledwith large control panel icons, this 5-cup and 10-cup capacity ricecookers can cook up steamy soups and delicious side dishes.Panasonics SR-DF101 5-cup rice cooker has a suggested retail price of$79.99. The SR-DF181 has a suggested retail price of $89.99. 4. THE PITCHCompelling lead paragraph offer an exclusive interview with your client or the opportunity to experience a brand or service for the first time before the general public.Be a storyteller -If youre pitching a person, share an anecdote about them that the reporter can relate to.Suggest a few topics you can discuss - The pitch can also includes a variety of angles your client can discuss with the reporter. This should also be in bulleted format. 5. CONTACT MEEnd the pitch with a way for the reporter to get in touch with you via email, Twitter and/or Facebook.Enter your name, email address and phone numberInform the reporter that you will also be following up with him to ascertain his interest 6. THANK YOUThank the reporter for his timeEnd the letter with your signature line:Sincerely,NameTitleCompany 7. MY PITCH PEEVES1. GET TO THE POINT You are not writing a novel you are writing to capture the attention of a very busy reporter or producer2. SPELLING ERRORS -- If youre pitching a stationery company, certainly dont use the word stationary in your pitch (I received a pitch with that spelling). Know your client and know how to spell words that describe their services.3. POORLY WRITTEN SENTENCES Dont end sentences with the word of. Um, Like and You know do not belong in any pitches or releases. 8. MY PITCH PEEVES4. OFF TOPIC PITCHES: Writing a pitch that is completely off topic and sent to a reporter who would never cover what youre pitching.5. POOR USE OF GRAMMAR: Dont insert a semi colon when it needs a comma. And dont put a comma before and refer to your AP style book.6. A CONFUSING PITCH: The reporter cant figure out what you are pitching. Get to the point, get me the facts and then tell me why I should cover you. 9. TELEVISION PITCHESGet to the point: Broadcast producers have no time to focus on long winded pitches.Bullet Points: Include bulleted tips from the person or client you are pitching.Examples of past interviews: Include a sizzle (media reel) of your client to show he/she has TV experienceBackground info: Include a bio of your clientContact Information: Include your phone number, email address and Twitter handle. 10. RADIO PITCHES Research the hosts: Know the show you are pitching Facts & Statistics: Include tip driven information tied tothe news of the day Engaging interview subjects: Offer the types of topicsyour client can discuss on air Include a link to a recent radio interview and/or TVappearance Include a bio of the interview subject Include dates when your client is available Where to reach you -Include your contact information 11. PRINT PITCHES Research what the reporter has covered in the past Draft a hook that will show the reporter you know theirwork and dont want to waste their time. Youve gotsomething they may want to cover. Include an exclusive offer (interview, access to a newproduct or service before the general public). Include bullet points with relevant links that provideadditional background on your client. Check the calendar and see if your pitch ties in withsomething thats taking place that month (ie. You pitch anauthor who wrote a book about self esteem during BullyingPrevention Month) Include you contact information at the end of the pitch 12. ONLINE OR BLOG PITCHESConcise - Keep it very shortUnder 300 words - Pitch should be no longer than four paragraphsResearch the blog -Identify that you have been reading the blog/website in question.Provide a special offer or offer an exclusive experience to the bloggerProvide images they can use for their blog post with photo credit provided.Include important links to websites and/or video 13. IF YOU DONT HEAR BACKChange the pitchEngage with the reporter via email FB or Twitter find out why they are not interestedFind another reporter and pitch againDo not give up 14. GROUP PROJECT1. Notification: I will be notifying you via email which group you have been assigned the week of 9/17.2. Connect: Once you have been assigned a group, you should plan to connect either in person or via phone so that you can select a company or brand you will be covering.3. Collaborate: I will be giving you time in our in person classes to collaborate and will be available to assist you during this time as well.4. Divide and conquer: One group member should not be pulling the weight on the project. Assign a task to each member so that the project is truly a collaborative effort.5. No Excuses: If you cannot attend a class in person, you are still responsible for working with your group. Research, writing and communication with your group can be conducted anywhere. 15. YOUR HOMEWORKASSIGNMENTS3A -- Blog entry No. 1 (post in Discussion Board):1. What are some of the most compelling news stories or blog posts youve seen this week? Include a link to the story.2. Why did they grab your attention? (1 sentence)3. After reading the blog post or news story, craft a pitch letter that could have secured that coverage. Due by Sept. 20 midnight. 200 words (15 points) 16. EMMY AWARDS TWEET-UP1. 3B: Emmy Awards Tweet up. Watch the Primetime Emmy Awards (http://www.emmys.com/) on Sept. 23 and write at least 10 tweets during the show. Visit www.tweetchat.com and enter the hashtag #Emmys to join the discussion. While you are watching the twitter stream, identify media reporters and outlets participating in the session and show how you discovered that someone won an Emmy via Twitter. Next write a blog post announcing the winners based on the tweets youve seen online 200 words total (post in Blog post section). (15 points)