Pitching the Story

MPR professionals need to persuade connectors to use their message. It must be positioned as newsworthy. Common themes defining newsworthiness often include the following:

• Firsts
• Trends
• Local, quirky personalities
• The underdog
• Impact on the audience
• Something of an unusual nature

Part 1: Pre-Pitch

Select a company to create a story that you wish to shop to a media outlet. Use the following guidelines:

• Provide a brief overview of the company.
• Describe the media outlet being pitched. Include information on its target audience (the media outlet must be real).

Part 1 of the Individual Project should be 1 page in length. Be sure to cite your resources.

Part 2: Writing an Effective Pitch Letter

• Write the pitch letter, which should include the following:
  • An attention-grabbing opening
  • The “hook”
  • Background information supporting the pitch
  • Support materials
  • The action step

Part 2 of the Individual Project should be 2 1/2 pages in length. Be sure to cite your resources.

Part 3: Follow-up and Other Considerations

• Describe your follow-up plan.
• Discuss the special considerations for pitching a blogger.

Part 3 of the Individual Project should be 1 1/2 pages in length. Be sure to cite your resources.

Your assignment should contain a cover page, an abstract page, and a reference page in addition to the body. The body of the paper should be 5 pages, starting with a brief 1-paragraph introduction and ending with a short conclusion. The entire submission will be 8–10 pages in length.

Please submit your assignment as a Word document in APA format using the attached TEMPLATE.

Notice that the grading criteria components match up with the headings provided in the template. Do NOT change the font, page breaks, or margins. Using the template without deleting the headings ensures that you cover each segment of the assignment.