Sample Pitch Letter

The pitch letter is a written request for a media outlet to cover an event or to write about a story you think might interest them. Whether you're trying to gain the attention of print, radio, or television reporters, send this letter out one month prior to any event you sponsor.

You don't need an event to pitch to the media, however. Through a well-written pitch letter that contains an interesting "hook" or unique angle, you can interest the media in stories about your neighboring project that will have resonance as community or human interest reports.

Whether you're pitching an event or a story idea, make sure you enclose any other materials you have with it that might highlight the value of what you're pitching, i.e., stories that may have been written about your project or personnel, photos, biographies or key staff, brochures, etc.

The enthusiasm you feel about your project and its benefits to the community should come across in the letter. Once you've written your pitch letter, use it as a guide when doing your follow-up calls to the media. Your main message points should be clean and consistent, serving a structure for anyone who will be expected to talk about your project to a reporter.

Following is a sample pitch letter to be sent to a print outlet such as a newspaper. You can use it as a template and modify it to fit the needs of your particular event or story idea. You don't need to use it word-for-word, but do follow the structure of the letter and the guidance it contains for including pertinent facts. When pitching to television, note any colorful or dramatic images that would illustrate your points and help tell the story visually. When pitching to radio, include a description of background sounds specific to your project that they could capture on tape to create the feel of the event.

Sample pitch letter .

Try another valuable way to interest the media: an opinion editorial.