With PR pitches, timing’s in the eye of the reader

A good story is a good story, regardless of the calendar.

A good story is a good story, regardless of the calendar

In response to the Ragan.com essay by Shawn Bannon, “Timing and tone are key to a successful PR pitch,” I have a different view of timing as it relates to pitching.

Public relations professionals often look at the calendar to create a news hook that will juice up a story idea, thereby increasing the likelihood of reporter, editor and reader interest.

Take the anniversary theme. In August 2003, in anticipation of Sept. 11, I reached out to New York and national media regarding the then-current museum exhibition of photographs of tattoos made in memory of the victims of the World Trade Center attacks. It was picked up quite a bit, notably by Reuters, and the photographs were published in newspapers across the United States and around the world. The lead time made it easy for media to pick up the digital photos.

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