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Speaker 1
Every day, Special Olympics athletes, volunteers and staff are building a more inclusive world through the power of sports. Every day, Special Olympics Programs need to spread awareness of the work we do and the powerful stories of our athletes. Do this through media pitching, getting news and features out to the public through broadcast, print, and online outlets. Media pitching is a process of establishing ongoing relationships with media contacts who publish stories and information based on tips you send them.

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Speaker 1
Pitching is not asking for favors. It's offering valuable ideas to people in the business of telling stories. You're the expert on Special Olympics work. They're the experts in telling stories in all kinds of ways. Great stories benefit both sides. Strong relationships with your media contacts are key to success. Media pitching has three steps: identify a story, summarize why it matters, and share it with your contacts in the media. To make contacts,

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Speaker 1
start by listing media organizations that serve your community: newspapers, magazines, radio stations, TV stations, bloggers, vloggers, and podcasters. Find out who covers what at each organization. Get contact information. Call the main office or check websites, and social media. Then reach out. Introduce yourself in a friendly and short email. Greet the recipient by name. Be direct, courteous, and professional.

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Speaker 1
Mention a recent story or broadcast they did, and explain that you want to pitch Special Olympics story ideas. Suggest connecting to talk when it's convenient and ask if someone else is a better contact. Be sure to include your contact information. After meeting, send your story pitches by email. Clear and focused pitches will stand out. Make the subject line direct and specific.

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Speaker 1
Greet your contact by name. Explain the importance of the story in the first sentence. Focus on facts and include essential information. Make Special Olympics athletes part of your pitches when possible. Provide your contact information. State you will follow up in a few days. Be brief, no more than about 100 words. Do not attach files. That way, you avoid having your pitch lost to a spam filter.

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Speaker 1
If you don't hear back, follow up once. If you still don't hear back after sending a follow-up email, pitch another media contact. When you have working relationships with media contacts, you can reach out for coverage even on short notice. Ongoing relationships make it easier to pitch stories because you have shown your pitches can be taken seriously.

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Speaker 1
Media pitching is a process, and it is worth the effort to get your Program into the spotlight.

