When pitching to journalists, understanding their preferences is key to getting your story noticed. On our "Coffee with a Journalist" podcast, we recently had the chance to chat about all media relations with two distinguished journalists to understand how best to approach them with story ideas.
Here’s what we learned from Alan Neuhauser, a Climate Deals Reporter at Axios Pro, and Alex Sherman, a Media Reporter at CNBC.
Alan Neuhauser, who focuses on climate deals, offers valuable insights on effective pitching strategies.
Concise and Data-Rich
Alan prefers pitches that are both concise and data-rich. Publicists should aim to provide clear, straight-to-the-point information, ideally with specific terms like "embargo" or "exclusive" in the email subject line. This helps him quickly identify relevant pitches among the numerous emails he receives daily.
Use of Email Filters
To manage his inbox, Alan uses filters for emails containing keywords like "embargo." He appreciates pitches that respect these protocols and are easy to locate through email search functionalities. Unlike many journalists, he doesn't prioritize achieving "inbox zero" but instead relies on efficient email management practices.
Conference Networking
Conferences are crucial for Alan when it comes to networking. He highlights Climate Week New York as a must-attend event for anyone in his field. Initial in-person connections made during these conferences are invaluable for future story leads and relationships.
Approaches and Preferences
When reaching out, Alan prefers phone interviews and clear bullet points over lengthy paragraphs in pitches. He also favors direct emails over direct messages and encourages follow-up emails, appreciating their persistence.
Story Criteria
When selecting stories, Alan aims to add unique insights and value to already covered topics, ensuring that his reporting respects readers’ time. He’s also keen on tracking venture capital and private equity investments, particularly fundraising announcements.
Overall, clarity, relevance, and the addition of unique value are critical to capturing Alan's attention.
At the helm of media and sports reporting at CNBC, Alex Sherman offers a different but equally insightful perspective on pitching.
Concise, Relevant, and Timely
Alex emphasizes the need for concise and relevant pitches. Long-winded, detailed pitches rarely capture his attention if they don’t align with his current focus. Publicists should prioritize brevity and relevance in their communications.
Email Management
Given NBCUniversal’s email system auto-delete policy for emails older than three months, Alex stresses the importance of real-time pitching. Emails must catch his eye immediately to avoid being lost in the shuffle.
Personal Touch
While Alex doesn't derive story ideas directly from pitches, a personal touch in the initial communication can make a difference. However, the pitch’s content must still be pertinent to his coverage area to be considered.
Preferences for Communication
Alex prefers phone or email for short-term story needs, while video calls are reserved for long-term relationship-building. He prefers pitches in his email inbox over direct messages. He prefers bullet points or short paragraphs for pitches.
Handling Follow-Ups
Unlike Alan, Alex suggests a single follow-up for pitches and advises publicists not to take non-responses personally. The lack of response often means he's not interested in the topic at that moment, rather than a reflection on the pitch's quality.
High-Profile Themes
Alex focuses on high-profile themes and figures in the media, entertainment, and sports sectors. Publicists should avoid niche topics unless they relate to these larger themes.
Overall, concise, relevant, and timely pitches, along with a single well-timed follow-up, can effectively capture Alex’s attention.
By understanding and adapting to these preferences, publicists can enhance their chances of successfully pitching stories to journalists like Alan Neuhauser and Alex Sherman. Whether it’s the clarity and data focus that Alan seeks or the brevity and timeliness essential for Alex, these insights provide a roadmap for effective journalistic engagement. Use them to significantly improve your chances of getting noticed by journalists like Alan Neuhauser and Alex Sherman. Happy pitching!
Learn all the ways journalists prefer to be pitched on #CoffeeWithAJournalist.
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