How to pitch a busy TV reporter

WGN TV’s (Channel 9, Chicago) medical reporter Dina Bair wants to read your pitch, not hear it, and she wants to read it when you’re going to bed

National health beat TV reporter Dina Bair doesn’t have time to take a phone call from a PR rep pitching a story during her day at WGN TV. She doesn’t even have time for voice mail pitches: “They’re always too long with too many details.”

Her favorite method of getting pitches: e-mail. She says, “I love to read e-mails.” Her preferred time to read these pitches: Long after the frenzy of daily news gathering has subsided, at home, at 11:00 at night, when she can give them her full attention.

The subject line on your e-mail: it’s important

Bair recently spoke to Ragan about what grabs her attention when she reviews electronic appeals from PR folks who want their product, service or client on her two-minute news segment on WGN:

“What I love is a catchy subject line for your e-mail pitch. That’s the key. Your subject line might be a lead line in broadcasting, or it might be a headline in the newspaper. It can’t be some long sentence with a lot of details.”

Get down to business instantly in your pitch