As
I began looking for advice on pitching ideas for podcast and radio shows, I
came across many links that offered a lot of great information. However, I
slowly began to realize that not all of the websites I came across were
reliable. I determined the reliability of each website by asking myself the
questions posed by the CRAAP (Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy,
Purpose) test produced my California State University. After measuring each
website against the CRAAP test, I believe the following sources are the most
reliable: CBC, International Freelancer Society, and AIR Media.
CBC
is a reliable source as it is the largest news broadcaster in Canada, and has
been in the business of broadcasting since 1941. CBC's webpage on, "Radio
Pitch," suggests that the following questions are crucial to consider when
pitching your idea:
1.
"When you tell others about
your idea, what seems to excite them the most? This is often a good
way to start your pitch.
2.
What makes
your show perfect for CBC Radio now? Does
it take CBC Radio somewhere new? Does it do something we aren’t already doing?
3.
Does it
fit our values as a public broadcaster? We're
looking for high-quality, distinctive Canadian programming that’s intelligent,
insightful and entertaining, and reflective of the diversity of Canada.
4.
How would
you describe your show’s sound? Will
it be light-hearted, serious, cheeky, respectful, probing, reflective,
journalistic? Is there anything new or different about how your show will
sound?
5.
Who is the
host? Do you have someone in mind?
If not, what qualities does your ideal host possess? What should they sound
like? What’s his or her role in the show?
6.
What is
the online component? What opportunities do you
imagine for the web and social networking?
7.
What
format do you see your idea taking? Is
it a half-hour summer replacement series, or a one-hour holiday show?"
Source:
CBC
Similarly,
I came across another website called, "International Freelancers
Academy," and an individual by the name of Diana Ennen (who is the
President of Virtual World Publishing), posted an article titled, "How to
Develop a Media Pitch that Gets Attention". Diana Ennen has been featured
on Fox Business News, CBS, CNN Radio, USA Today, Woman's World, Entrepreneur
Magazine, and a lot more. Hence, I believe this source is just as reliable as
CBC because the information looks valid and reliable.
Here
is a list of useful advice that I found in the article:
1.
"First, get to the point quickly and lead in with your best stuff.
Don't save the best for last; it just won't get read. You need to capture their
attention immediately.
2.
Second, keep your pitch short and sweet. I often email my pitches, so I add an
introductory paragraph or two that summarize why the reporter would be
interested. I sometimes also add my press release or article, but not always.
You can also just send a pitch without a release or article and let the pitch
stand on its own.
3.
Third, stay with one general theme or big idea. Too often, people try and cram
as many ideas as they can in the pitch, thinking that if one idea doesn't
interest them, they might be interested in something else. But all this does is
create confusion and hamper your success. Instead, keep it to just one focused
idea and save the others for your next pitch.
4.
Finally, be cautious of the tone of the pitch. Remember, even though you're
pitching, you're also trying to build relationships with the reporters and
editors to whom you're sending these. That way, if your idea is not a good fit
now, they'll hopefully still consider you for a future story. So make sure to
keep your tone friendly and professional."
Source:
International Freelancer Academy
Lastly,
I came across a website called, "AIR Media," and it is operated by
the "Association of Independent in Radio (AIR), which consists of 10
independent producers who are employed by various media organizations. I found
the information posted on this website to be reliable, as the individuals who
post on this website are mainly news journalists, media activists,
station-based producer and podcasters. These individuals have programs that
train new podcasters and experienced media professionals. This is a list of
valuable information that I found on AIR Media's website:
1.
"Make sure you actually have a story in mind, and not just a vague idea.
If you suggest "some sort of business story on old people retrofitting
their houses so they don't need to go to nursing homes," you may have a
clear sense of what the story is, but you haven't expressed it in a way that an
editor or producer could evaluate it. A better pitch would be, "I think we
should do a story on the industry that has grown up around helping old people
retrofit their houses so they can avoid moving into nursing homes. I've found
surveys that show senior citizens overwhelmingly want to stay in their own
homes -- and articles that say some of the companies that are helping them do
that are reaping big profits. Those companies are holding a trade show in
Chicago next month. We could use the expo as a way to show what sorts of
devices and renovations they're selling to senior citizens, talk to some seniors
about how they made the decision to stay home, and look at how the home
retrofitting boom is affecting the fortunes of the nursing home industry."
2.
If a newspaper article prompted your story idea, make sure you can suggest how
to advance the story. After reading the story, do you still have questions
you'd like answered? Who might be able to answer those questions? How might the
subject be approached in a new way?
3.
Check the transcript file or archives to determine whether the outlet to whom
you're pitching has done a similar story before. If so, ask yourself whether
there's enough news to justify returning to the subject again. Think about how
the new version would be different from the old one.
4.
Frame your pitch so there can be no doubt about the focus of your story. You
don't need to put all the facts you have gathered into your pitch. But you do
need to know where the tension in the story is, what is happening now that
justifies the coverage, and why people in your locale (or other parts of the
country if you're pitching to a national outlet) are going to care.
5.
Figure out whether your story should be told by a reporter or through a
host interview. Some stories require a reporter to ascertain the facts, present
both sides, characterize the way a scene looks, etc. Others rely mainly on the
experiences or insights of a single person -- and sometimes interviewing that
person is the most efficient way to get the story on the air."
Based
on the advice I have gathered, I need to find ways to grab my audience's
attention. Although I am very interested in the topic, I did not pay a lot of
attention to how others will perceive the topic. Hence, it is crucial for me to
find ways to engage the audience, and rather than trying to "sell"
the idea, I need to make it sound interesting enough to capture my audiences'
attention (CBC). Moreover, as mentioned by Diana Ennen in her article,
"How to
Develop a Media Pitch that Gets Attention," it is important for
individuals to keep their pitch ideas to be short, and to-the-point. As I began
doing further research on my topic, I came across a lot of information that I
was thinking of incorporating into my four-minute pitch. However, after reading
her article, it has become apparent that I will lose my audiences' interest if
I try to cover too much information. Thus, I will try my best to stick to one
big and topic and avoid including too many ideas that may confuse people.
Lastly, I will spend more time going through podcasts available on "On the
Media," as it will inform the kind of questions that I will propose for my
own short podcast episode.
References
Barasoain, D. (n.d.). About Us. The Association Of Independents
In Radio. Retrieved January 23, 2014, from
http://www.airmedia.org/PageInfo.php?PageID=1
California State University. (2010, September 17). Evaluating
Information Applying the CRAAP Test. Meriam Library California State
University, Chico. Retrieved January 23, 2014, from
http://www.csuchico.edu/lins/handouts/eval_websites.pdfCBC. (n.d.). CBC Radio
Pitch - Index.
CBCnews. Retrieved January 24, 2014, from
http://www.cbc.ca/pitch/radiopitchguide.html
Ennen, D. (n.d.). How to Develop a
Media Pitch that Gets Attention. International Freelancers Academy.
Retrieved January 23, 2014, from
http://internationalfreelancersacademy.com/simple-secrets-to-pitching-success-how-to-develop-that-pitch/
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