Episode #78: Pitch a Captivating Story for a Local Audience with Checkey Beckford
Most journalists we talk to tell us they get way too many pitches. When we were told by today’s guest that she’s experiencing the opposite problem, we knew we had to investigate! Today we learn all about local news and how to identify and tell a story that captivates a local audience. Hear about 2 real stories by a local NYC non-profit (and on the flipside a mention of the all-too-many “missed opportunities”) and walk away with inspiration for how to identify a story and sharpen your own storytelling skills.
In this episode, you'll learn from a local TV journalist…
What makes a good, local news story
How newsrooms, producers, and journalists choose the stories they cover
How TV has adapted (and continues to adapt!) to a digital audience
Our guests:
Checkey Beckford is an Emmy® Award-winning reporter for NBC 4 New York. She covers breaking news and general assignment stories
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Summary:
In this conversation, Checkey Beckford, an Emmy award-winning journalist, discusses her pain point of not having direct contact with PR professionals. She emphasizes the importance of personalized pitches and news tie-ins, as well as the need for PRs to understand how TV works and the quick turnaround times required. Checkey suggests that PRs should consider pitching reporters directly and highlights the value of phone calls and text messages in building relationships. Checkey discusses her experience with receiving invites and meeting with PR people. Checkey mentions the different types of sources for journalists and how they differ from PR reps. She also shares the types of stories that journalists are looking for, including a successful PR story about a sensory-friendly show. The conversation concludes with a discussion on missed opportunities for PR stories and the importance of bridging communication between PR and journalists.
Show Notes:
00:00— Introduction
03:51— The Pain Point: Lack of Direct Contact with PRs
07:05— The Importance of Personalized Pitches and News Tie-ins
09:41— Understanding How TV Works and Quick Turnaround Times
13:05— Pitching Reporters vs. Producers
15:31— The Value of Phone Calls and Text Messages
16:54— Discussion about receiving invites and meeting with PR people
17:13— Desire to live in a place with more PR opportunities
17:38— Different types of sources for journalists
18:22— Types of stories that journalists are looking for
19:21— Example of a successful PR story about a sensory-friendly show
20:13— Positive impact of the story on families
21:04— Missed opportunities for PR stories
21:50— Process of being contacted by PR teams
22:18— Pitching stories to assignment desk managers
23:09— Important things PR people can provide before covering a story
24:22— Lack of follow-ups from PR people
25:01— Example of a follow-up story about Make-A-Wish
26:03— Contacting Checkey for stories
27:14— Missed opportunity to mention a specific PR person
27:20— Finding Checkey on social media
28:23— Pitching stories to local newsrooms for national coverage
29:26— Different types of stories for different news shows
30:10— Adapting to digital platforms
31:25— TV as an untapped market
32:06— Communicating with newsrooms
33:04— Checkey's social media presence
33:23— Importance of bridging communication between PR and journalists
Connect with Checkey Beckford
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