How to Make a Pitch Call to Journalists

Never call any journalist without proper preparation. Develop a concise talk – no more than one minute in length – that communicates all of the essential points. Repeat your pitch aloud several times, until you are comfortable with it. Always do a role play with someone – a BFW volunteer, your regional organizer, a media associate, a spouse or a friend – before making the call.

Pitchers don't win the World Series without fine-tuning their skills. Musicians don't make it to Carnegie Hall without practice. Actors don't perform on Broadway without extensive rehearsing. If you want to be successful talking to journalists, you must practice your pitch. 

Use this approach whenever you are calling a journalist, whether it's an editorial writer, a radio producer or a reporter (these rules are doubly important if you're making a first "cold" call):

• Introduce yourself as a volunteer for Bread for the World.
  
  
• Start by asking if he/she has a moment to talk. (If the journalist is busy or on deadline, ask, "When is a good time to reach you?")
  
  
• Affirm their recent work—whether it's an article or an editorial or a radio segment. This will show that you're in touch with their work.
  
  
• Ask a question you think that he/she won't know the answer to. This piques the journalist's curiosity (for example: "Have you heard that churchpeople in Minnesota have begun to advocate for broad reform of the farm bill this year?").
  
  
• Give a brief description of the issue and include any local angle you can think of, including local hunger statistics, how the issue affects the community or local members of Congress that may be influential. Refer to Bread for the World's state farm bill fact sheets on hunger, poverty and agriculture.  If the issue relates to Africa or other regions of the world, research connections your community might have to that part of the world, including trade or immigrant populations.
  
  
• If you are calling an editorial writer or a reporter, ask for a meeting. There is no better way to develop an ongoing relationship than through a face-to-face meeting.
  
  
• Be prepared to go through all of these steps in less than two minutes, as the journalist may be busy.
  
  
• As you are talking, allow openings for the journalist to ask questions and engage in the conversation. Listen for cues that will let you know the degree of interest on the other end of the line.
  
  
• If the journalist is unavailable, leave a message and try calling back every day until you reach him/her. Leave messages periodically.