By Guy Randall

When I started at Ideas Shop I was amazed to hear of public relations firms sending journalists gifts and dressed up ‘media releases’ inside a tea pot, typed on a wedding dress, or in a file marked ‘Top Secret’.

At Ideas Shop we prefer to get to the point – and let our authentic news speak for itself.

Journalists are not interested in dressing. They don’t have the time to ‘unwrap’ your news. They need something substantial and they need it now.

When I was asked to pitch my first story I simply rang the media and explained what the story was. That’s all. It’s simple. And it got results.

Yet sending journalists “dressed up” news is surprisingly common. I think in many cases people dress things up because, deep down they realise their story isn’t very newsworthy. Some also just don’t really know how to pitch to the media and think attention-grabbing techniques are the best way.

Understanding how journalists work and the environment they work in is crucial to successfully gaining their attention.

You have to be polite (I always ask if they’re working on deadline), clear in what you’re pitching and respect the constraints they work under. If a journalist rings to check a fact or request a photo, you need to respond immediately.

The most important thing in media pitching is to be authentic. You can grab anyone’s attention by sending a media release with a Rolex or a box of chocolates, but if what you’re pitching isn’t news, journalists aren’t interested.

You cannot afford to build poor relationships with key media people by offering them something that is spin, dressed up, or something that wouldn’t even be front-page news for the kindy newsletter.

However, I’ve learned that if you target the right people in your pitch, and clearly explain your story, a journalist will usually listen.