Don’t Upset Those Who Buy Ink by the Barrel: Advice for Pitching the Media

Last week I attended a Chicago Media breakfast at Maggiano’s on Grand Avenue in Chicago – yeah, breakfast at an Italian joint. Publicists from around the city met with and questioned a panel of journalists on a wide range of PR issues and best practices. And although the venue was non sequitur, the three panelists, Chicago media gatekeepers Kathryn Janicek of NBC Chicago, Susanna Negovan, editor of Michigan Avenue Magazine and Kathryn Born, founder of TINC Magazine, showed candor as refreshing as the honeydew melon slices.

And instead of laying their gems of wisdom out in a long-winded blog post, I snatched all the Tweets including the event’s hashtag. It’s amazing how lucid and concise normally wordy PR folks can be when given only 80 characters after the tag and a couple @mentions.

And thanks to Business Wire for coordinating the event.

Selected Tweets from the event:

raschandahall Raschanda Hall

Today's #bwevents takeways: customize your pitch, respond within 2 hours and the advertising/editorial wall is more like a lace curtain

raschandahall Raschanda Hall

RT @ If u can't distill it down to a paragraph it’s probably NOT a good pitch @SusannaNegovan #bwevents

iamBolaji Bolaji S.

Voicemail is NO NO via @kathrynjanicek #bwevents

2 hours ago Favorite Retweet Reply

raschandahall Raschanda Hall

Pitching NBC Chicago morning show - they like stories that help save people money. #bwevents they also like new Chicago tech stories and app

LaurenBrush Lauren Brush

"it's the ugly truth, but advertising and sales are not separate. It can end up being insulting." -Kathryn Born #BWevents

danielmobrien Dan Obrien

Shocking candor about willingness to write stories for advertisers "there are no rules" #bwevents

Will_WSComm Will Kruisbrink

#bwevents media hates press releases; clients love press releases; publicists are in between on press releases #balance

danielmobrien Dan Obrien

Want to reach journalists? Send a 2 sentence "hook" via Facebook, Twitter, email. #bwevents

Will_WSComm Will Kruisbrink

#bwevents Michigan Avenue mag likes peoplecentric story ideas; who are movers and shakers in #Chicago?

iamBolaji Bolaji S.

Have a response rule for your media within 2hrs; its a must esp when on deadline #bwevent