Baltimore Sun
501 North Calvert
Baltimore, MD 21278
410/332-6000
http://www.sunspot.net
It might seem like there's no right way to pitch Baltimore Sun reporters - they ask for faxes, then complain they're inundated; they say to call with the latest news, but are annoyed by most PR calls. Instead of well-crafted press releases, these reporters are looking for PR contacts they can trust. At a media panel with the Baltimore Public Relations Council, Sun reporters and editors revealed they want all the news - the good and the bad. They want a heads up on events before they blow up, they want ideas, and most of all they want good relationships with PR pros.
Sections/Contacts
Feature News Editor
Michael Gray, 410/332-2519
Health Reporter
Diana Sugg, 410/332-6100
Covers medical discoveries, Medicare, dentistry, pediatric care and neurology
Higher Education Reporter
Michael Hill, 410/332-6100
Covers student programs, university trends and finance
Metro Desk Reporter
Jim Asher, 410/332-6100
Pitch Tips
All reporters have their own preferences for contact, but the reporters on the panel said the best way to startis with a fax, followed by a quick phone call.
While writers at the Sun are technologically-savvy, their building is not. During a long construction effort - expected to be completed next summer - not all editors have Internet access at their desktops. If you send an email Tuesday, a reporter might not pick it up until Friday.
But that doesn't mean don't send emails. If you've developed a relationship with a reporter, he'll check email if he feels it's worth the trip.
Comments
Establishing a relationship will give you the long-run advantage, but so will angling your pitch properly. Linking the pitch with a trend or current event may help. A press release that got Sugg's interest tied a Baltimore hospital ICU renovation into a larger story about the national need for better ICUs.
"Be less event-driven," says Asher. "I'd like to see you develop themes."
"Don't pitch Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, Diabetes Awareness Month, all those awareness months and days," Sugg says. "We'll never write about those."
Asher says he throws away 90% of press releases. Timing is key. "You're not going to get noticed if you tell us, 'It's happening today...what are you going to do?'"