Adelina Ruffolo, W14: pitching

The first source I found online offering advice on writing a podcast was from the University of Cambridge website. One of the things the suggest that I found important was to have a passion for the topic you are discussing. They also advise to have a good energy in your presentation. That the presenter should be able to tell a compelling story that people want to hear and to answer questions that are difficult. They say to think differently and to think about the audience you are pitching to. (Warren Bennett and Alan Barrell, http://www.cfel.jbs.cam.ac.uk/resources/multimedia/pitching.html)

The second source I found online was advice from the San Francisco Book Review. Stephanie Barko, the author of the article, says she created a template on what a pitch should contain based on advice she received from a radio producer who received tons of pitches. She first suggests that the subject line (if it is an email) should be attention grabbing and interesting. Next is to show the producer you have done your research and find a way to relate to them, whether it is by referring to them by name or by showing you know the type of topics and guests that are featured on the show. Then discuss the relevancy of your topic, things you will reveal to your listeners and why it would be good to book you. Lastly, list where the company can get a hold of you along with web and social links. (Stephanie Barko,  http://sanfranciscobookreview.com/2013/02/how-to-pitch-a-podcast/)

The third source I found online was advice from CBC on how to do a radio pitch. The site tells audiences what they are looking for and important things to know (such as that they are looking for Canadian ideas). The also give advice on questions to ask yourself such as: what excites others when you discuss your pitch with them? Is your show original and does something CBC has not done before? Does it fit the Canadian audience? What is the sound of the show? (flow, serious or funny) Who is hosting the show? Is there opportunities for social media? The format of the show? (weekly, monthly, holidays) They go on to say the pitch should include some information about who you are, the roles individuals will take on the show, the role of social media, support, timing and how they can reach you. (CBC, http://www.cbc.ca/pitch/radiopitchguide.html)

I found all these references to be credible because they are reliable sources. CBC is a reputable company that many people have heard of and trust. The San Francisco Book Review article was written by an author who has been published and the website features information about her and her work at the bottom of her article. Lastly, the University of Cambridge is a institutional setting offering advice to students like us on how to do a pitch. The authors of the article have their own podcast discussing business ventures. 

Based on the information I gathered I can tell I need to do some work in creating an effective podcast. The best advice I found was from the CBC and the San Francisco Book Review. It is important to know who I am pitching to and the typical audience of their podcast. It is also important to discuss new and original topics that have not been talked about before. A great deal of planning has to go into creating a pitch, one that indicates that I have knowledge and passion about the topic being talked about. I have to make sure I create an outline that covers all the questions a producer may want to know about my podcast.

References

Barrell, Alan & Barrett Warren, Learning How to Pitch Your Ideas,2013,  http://www.cfel.jbs.cam.ac.uk/resources/multimedia/pitching.html.

Barko, Stephanie. How to Pitch a Podcast, 2013, http://sanfranciscobookreview.com/2013/02/how-to-pitch-a-podcast/.

CBC Radio Development Group Pitch Guide, August 2013,  http://www.cbc.ca/pitch/radiopitchguide.html