If you haven’t seen the BusinessWeek redesign, head to your nearest news stand this afternoon and grab one.
Homework from the Bad Pitch blog?
On top of all the other reasons to buy this national business magazine, it’ll give you something new to discuss with your BusinessWeek reporter.
BusinessWeek's Stephen Baker is wishing some PR folks took this advice. Baker just received another bad pitch and provides the following exchange with a person pitching him.
PR: Are you interested in pursuing this important story?
Me: No, it doesn't sound quite right for me.
PR: What kind of stuff do you write about?
NO. THEY. DIT-INT.
The rest of this train wreck is here. Stephen has sent us bad pitches like this one before.
This latest one reminds me of the pitch we received addressed “To Whom it May Concern.”
It’s depressing to consider all of these bad pitches all at once. To turn my frown upside down, “What kind of stuff do you write about?” will kick off the
Top 10 List of Things You Never Say to a Reporter.
Submit your contribution in the comments…serious and humorous entries are encouraged. Those picked for the list will be attributed (read: link love). The best one wins a copy of Full Frontal PR.”
tags | public relations | PR | media relations | media | good pitch | bad pitch | bad pitch blog | BusinessWeek
How about: "this release has everything you need--you won't even have to write anything yourself."
ReplyDeleteIf called by a reporter, you should never say, "That isn't a story..." Which almost always turns said topic into a story.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this gem Kevin!
ReplyDeleteI have seen this happen in other instances as well. e.g.: a senior in a communications program stepping up to a table at a PRSA job fair for well-known PR agency (that shall remain unnamed) and asking: "Um, so, like what do you guys do?"
Do your research!
How about this oneIn my previous life as a business reporter, a marketer once told me I had to write about his company because his brother was my doctor and ... you know... he knew all about me. He didn't get the story, and I got another doctor.
ReplyDeleteTony Wanless
Sentare Information Services
"You should be interested in this because (insert name of competitor publication here) covered it in their last issue as well."
ReplyDeleteGrrrr.
Flack: "Hello, Reporter X. Do you have a minute for a young PR person just trying to do his job?"
ReplyDeleteReporter: "Sure, kid. What's your story?"
Flack: "Well mister, I'm not exactly sure, I was hoping you could tell me. I've been asked to pitch this pharma story but for the life of me I can't pronounce the company's name...it's spelled P-f-i-z-e-r. I figured you would know because when I googled the word, one of your stories came up...hello? Hello?"
"Did you get my email?"
ReplyDeleteOh, you don't cover that beat...can you forward my pitch to the person who does?
ReplyDeleteHello? Hello?
Oh, you don't cover that beat...can you forward my pitch to the person who does?
ReplyDeleteNot so funny, but "Did you get my press release?". Also, how about "You'll be sorry tomorrow if you don't cover this news."?
ReplyDelete"Can I get an extension on your deadline"
ReplyDelete1) "No comment."
ReplyDelete2) "I know I told you I'd get our CEO, but..."
3) "It's a newly integrated solution that enables synergies and increases efficiencies between two previous incongruous applications."
4) "Fuck off."
5) "I already tried pitching the Journal, but they said no."
6) "My boss wants you to do a find-and-replace on our competitor's name in yesterday's story so we can get some coverage."
and finally...
7) "Please don't forward this to the Bad Pitch Blog!"
Thank you. I'll be here all week. Be sure to tip your waitress.
After an interview, "So can I review or edit this before it gets published?"
ReplyDelete"You didn't cover my client in the piece you wrote last week on their industry, so I'm giving you a chance to redeem yourself."
ReplyDeleteHonest-to-God.
"I've got a fifty dollar bill with your name on it."
ReplyDelete"We're a big advertiser. Doesn't that count for anything...?"
ReplyDeleteHow about...here's your chance to save my job...
ReplyDeletehttp://iscatterlings.com/rule-15-do-not-ooze-journalists/
ReplyDelete