Do you have a problem? A community event or issue that you think deserves attention? You may consider contacting newspapers or magazines but your email will likely languish in an overworked editor’s inbox never to see the light of day. To truly get your message out there you need a journalist to champion and pitch your story. You need a journalist, but where do you find one? In the UK close to 30% of all journalists work freelance, just like me. Working with a freelancer is often your best bet to get published.
Why contact a freelance journalist?
To publish any story a journalist, regardless of employment status, needs to pitch to a editor. Journalists embedded at publications will pitch to their senior editor who has the final say. A freelancer will pitch to hundreds of publications shifting the pitch to appeal to the publishers tone, focus and demographics.
How do I peak a journalists interest?
There is a very old example, much parodied, of what is considered ‘newsworthy’. A dog bites a man is commonplace, man bites dog is worth reporting on. In general were looking for the unexpected, the different angle. When approaching a journalist consider:
- What is timely about the story? Why does this need to be published now?
- Is it in the public interest or something the public will be interested in? Preferably both but both are valid.
- Who are the people involved? Good stories are rooted in human stories.
Is your story regional or national?
Local stories need local journalists. We’re already here and have contacts in the local press and area. Regional stories are harder to pitch to national publications as they need to be relevant to everyone but they can be made so with the right angle.
What expertise does the journalist need?
In order to pitch a story we consider three things: who cares, why now, and why me (the journalist)? The why me is vital to a successful pitch. Look at the Journalists background and expertise, what topics do they usually write on and where they’ve published before.
Working with the dystopian journalist
I am a writer and journalist based in Cornwall. Before I became a writer I was a climate scientist. I write stories around climate change, sustainable living and big techs place in our future. I’m interested in local Cornish stories and the intersection between fiction and science. If you would like to pitch a story please contact me.
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