6 Things NOT to do With Your Media Pitch

We've established the Magnificent 7 ways to build a great media pitch for the few surviving reporters/producers. Consider this Part II -- the sequel intended to preserve whatever scraps of sanity the media have left.

As a reporter, I was on the receiving end of many horrible media pitches and uncomfortable situations described below. These tips are intended to end those practices forever.

Don't:

1. Send large file attachments, such as photos, spreadsheets or graphics.

We know you're excited about whatever this thing is. If you really want people to download it, include a link to download the file in your one-paragraph media pitch. Make sure it doesn't require a password or anything. Send a test email to someone else and let them try to download it, and if it works, you're good to go. Personally, I prefer pCloud for file links/transfers. It's free.

2. Repeatedly call or message a content producer to "confirm" they received your media pitch.

If possible, set your email to "confirm receipt." (Gmail doesn't have that function, but Outlook does.) Feel free to text that reporter ONCE if you don't get a confirmation email. Call them ONCE. Email a second time. But that's it. If you don't get a confirmation one way or another, they're just not into you/your pitch.

3. Send swag such as shoes, blankets, Snuggies, etc., to curry favor.

If you do, you're putting the content producer in the ethical bind of producing stories with people who gave them gifts. These gifts might have no intention of influencing the writer. But they can, and that's not a good thing.

4. Send a press release/media pitch that a layperson wouldn't understand.

I know your boss/client wants to sound smart, but if the intended reader doesn't understand what they're trying to say, you're wasting everyone's time. Keep your release jargon- and acronym-free. Make it so clear, the content could be copied and pasted straight into a news article. Because that happens more than anyone cares to acknowledge.

5. Get mad if a content producer doesn't take your media pitch; they might be working on the story of a lifetime.

Sometimes, editors overrule reporters. News judgment is subjective. It's not personal. Your story could have been bumped by a house fire.

6. Brag about your "in" with a particular reporter or news outlet.

The media world is a tiny place. If you've found synergy with a reporter/editor/producer, keep it under your hat. I understand the temptation to brag can be enormous. Do. Not. Do. It.

This concludes my public service announcement.