How to Pitch a News Story

Whether you're a reporter for a daily newspaper or you're getting your feet wet in the field writing for your college publication, every writer needs to know how to pitch a news story. Be it broadcast or print, news reporters need to master the art of story pitching to their editors. The editors are the ones who ultimately say what goes and what gets canned. Learn how to pitch a news story you wish to work on to snag the subject matter you're interested in.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Come up with a story idea. Scan your local and national newspapers, blogs, interviews, and records for relevant issues. Consider doing a follow-up story on same major community incident, such as budget cuts to schools.

2. Ask yourself, "Will people want to read this story?" Though you may think you discovered gold with a news story, if no one else wants to read it, what is the point of writing it? Put yourself in your readers' shoes and ask, "Why should I care?" These are great steps to take when formulating a story idea and coming up with a lead sentence.

3. Come up with a list of important points your news story will cover. Jot down things such as key players in the story, who you plan to interview, if there is already coverage of the topic, and what angle you think your story will take. For example, will a story about a small business closing revolve around the foreclosure crisis or unregulated competition from huge corporations?

4. Approach your editor or editors. Set aside a few minutes and voice your opinion about the story you wish to write. If it's investigative in nature, you may need ample time to research, conduct interviews, and write the story. The earlier you pitch your story, the better chance you have to ensure you'll have the time to write it properly.

5. Expect your editor to disagree with your story angle or to dislike your pitch altogether. They have more experience than you and although this can be challenging to accept, it's the truth. Your editor is human too and often has their own vision of a story or idea. It's your job to convince them your idea is valid.

6. Be passionate about the subject matter if your editor is open to hearing you pitch a story idea. Let them know exactly why you want to write the story and who you plan to interview. Inform them of resources or quotes that would be conducive to your story. The more confident you are in your idea and capability to write the piece, the better your chances of turning a pitch into an assignment.

Tips & Warnings

• Always be honest with your editor. You may find that a story pitch worked in theory, but when you're actually doing the research and interviews, your angle and idea changed altogether. Don't worry. The sign of a good reporter is their ability to bounce back and evolve their idea with the evidence they are gathering.

[CBPope]

on 11/17/2008 good advice. I have used these tips and more.