I watched a DVD of the movie The Soloist recently. It's from a book by a real-life columnist for the Los Angeles Times, Steve Lopez. It's about how he met and befriended a homeless man who is blessed with a passion and gift for music and cursed with mental illness. I've been an admirer of Lopez's columns since he wrote for the Philadelphia Inquirer.
What struck me about the film, beyond the touching story itself, was the depiction of Lopez as always on the hunt for a topic for his next column. You don't see him writing the columns (long stretches sitting in front of a computer would be visually boring). but you do see him scribbling notes, interviewing people, observing the scene and just thinking about the deadlines he's up against and the need to find something to write about...NOW!
I tell you this, because as a publicity-seeker, it's useful to put yourself in the reporter's shoes. Picture him/her constantly under pressure to find a worthy topic right
away, wading through hundreds of phone calls and emails
from people clamoring for media coverage who mostly don't fit the bill,
always searching for the gem of an idea to run with.
Is the pitch timely and unique? Is there change or conflict or danger involved?
Perhaps there's a human drama unfolding. Who are the people in your story? News is about people.
When you're crafting a pitch, think like a reporter AND like the
readers, viewers or listeners you're trying to reach. What do they
care about? What are they talking about? How can your story
entertain, inform or inspire them?
As a publicist friend said the other day - the researcher thinks his new study about two molecules is fascinating, but it's her job to ask, "Why should that matter to the rest of us?" Would you care if his finding could lead to a new and better treatment for cancer? Now you're on your way to a story.
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