Where You Are Determines Where You Pitch

It's a simple enough concept: where your story is taking place determines where you should be pitching that story.

Yet, again and again, I hear reporters say they get press releases from someone in Houston -- when they're in New York. And I can't figure out why because doing so only shows that you didn't research anything before you started to pitch and that can get annoying very quickly to a reporter.

Here are three easy ways to determine where -- demographically -- you should be pitching your story.

1. Determine where the story is taking place. If it is an event, protest, demonstration, campaign...anything that is happening...what is the address? Wherever the event is happening is a pretty good indication that you should be pitching to reporters in that vicinity.
2. Determine who will be affected. The event can technically be happening in another area if it will somehow have an affect on people near where you are pitching.
3. Determine where the people are who will care. You job is to a convince a reporter that their audience will care about the story you have...part of that process is picking the correct location.

The moral of the story? Your credibility takes a hit when you don't do the simple research of scouting of where the people are who would be most interested in your story.

Bridgette Outten is a journalist and publicity strategist with The Write Vision Group, Inc. With a background in print media, she has written thousands of articles for newspapers and online publications. At The Write Vision Group, Bridgette consults with nonprofits and small businesses about how to get their programs and efforts in the news. Meanwhile, she blogs on all things journalism.