Reading the Room: Pitching Mindfully Amidst a Pandemic

by Chelsea Taft

It’s obvious that this year looks a little different. Good PR pros know the art of the pivot when it comes to navigating clients and journalists. So knowing when to pitch amid a global pandemic is a new skill we’re all learning to master during these unfamiliar times.

Here are a few tips to help guide you when pitching amid a pandemic:

Update your media list for accuracy.

Every PR pro knows media lists should be a part of your PR toolbox however, this pandemic has created many changes for every industry so updating these lists to reflect journalists who may have changed jobs or are covering a new beat can save you time and your e-mail from ending up in the trash folder.

Pitch relevant content and read the room.

The pandemic we are facing can’t be ignored. It’s a health crisis that is impacting every aspect of our lives. This should be considered when pitching non-COVID-19 content or you run the risk of sounding tone-deaf to journalists and the public.

Look for a creative way to tell your client’s story.

Journalists are on high alert surrounding the global health crisis however, since March open rates on pitches relating to COVID-19 may have dropped signaling that journalists are seeking more uplifting content again.

Check-in with journalists you’ve established relationships with.

Journalists have been put through the wringer these past eight months so be sure to check-in with them personally to see how they are handling their workload and most importantly how they are!

These tough times won’t last but what we do now impacts our future greatly.