Some public relations professionals spend most or all of their time pitching stories to the media – that is, trying to convince reporters to cover their organizations. As a result, some PR people make it seem as though pitching a journalist is like playing with gasoline near a fire, or something that should only be done by a “trained professional” – or at least one with established media relationships.

There’s no denying that those things help. But if you’ve got a pitch and no dough to hire a PR person, there are tactics you can utilize apart from throwing your hands up in despair.

In this week’s episode, we focus on three keys to pitching your story, whether it’s to your local TV station or a national trade publication. Those keys include:

* Demonstrating to a journalist that you understand their outlet and their beat.

* Helping a journalist envision the story in their medium.

* Targeting a limited number of reporters – and avoiding the “spray and pray” approach.

Read more:

How to Become a Media Expert – Business 2 Community

13 ways to get on a journalist’s good side – Ragan’s PR Daily

10 Essential PR Tips for Startups – Mashable