How to pitch TV news reporters
A reporter shares what she looks for in a good pitch, and offers advice on how to get your story some coverage.
I’m a video reporter and news anchor, trying my best every day to find great stories and convey them as clearly and promptly as humanly possible.
It’s a tough—but fun—job.
What I do
As a TV news reporter in this day and age, there’s no time for anything less than full speed ahead. I find and research almost all my news stories myself. I book all interviews. I drive the company car to all locations and carry all camera equipment. I do all the camera work myself. Back in the newsroom, I do all the editing and I write speaker notes for the news anchor.
All of this to put together one news story—and it has to be done in one day, from start to finish. One day, one story: That’s what’s being a video reporter is about.
Having a network of great news sources is absolutely essential to uncovering and conveying great stories. Reality always outshines one’s imagination, and that’s why getting real tips from real people often is better than what you can find yourself by digging in archives and by going through lots of reports.
But pitching a story well can be tricky.
I’ve put together a checklist that could help you get it right when pitching a busy TV news reporter:
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