The Right Time for PR Pitches

The real estate industry has an adage that goes, ‘Location, location, location’—a phrase which alludes to the three most important things a property could have. The PR industry offers a slight variation of that, a variation that carries just as much weight: ‘Timing, timing, timing’. The day and time that your story lands on a journalist’s desk is an utmost PR consideration. This means that you need to understand a journalist’s deadlines, and respect them. Once you understand their needs, you can time the submission of your stories in a way that increases your odds of gaining some much-needed media mileage.

Television timelines

Sending out your story two to three hours before the TV station airs their newscast is cutting it pretty close. If a TV station has their newscast at 5:00 p.m., having your media event in the morning—or at least before 2:00 p.m.—will give you a better chance of getting covered.

Newspaper timelines

After noon, especially anywhere between 3:00 and 4:00 p.m., is the perfect time to call newspaper reporters because this is usually the time they’re writing stories to submit to their editors.

Radio timelines

Most radio stations schedule their news time slots early mornings and late afternoons when people are commuting to and from work. If you contact such a station during these hours, you likely won’t be able to reach anyone in the news department. With that in mind, midday would be a good time to call and pitch your story.