Pitching
Part of Writing a digital PR pitch
Explaining the evidence behind a proposed story
Show the source, measure, group, period and limits behind a proposed PR story so a journalist can decide what to verify.
A pitch should state what supports its central claim, what the material covers and where the conclusion stops. Put those essentials in the email, then offer the record or method for closer inspection. A number without a defined group or base is hard to assess.
Match the claim to its source
For each important sentence, identify what could substantiate it. A service change may rest on a dated decision or a current operational record. A data finding needs source records and an explainable calculation. An expert interpretation needs the observations and reasoning behind it.
These forms of support are not interchangeable. A spokesperson can explain an organisation’s decision; their opinion alone cannot verify an industry-wide statistic. A customer survey reports its respondents’ answers and does not automatically represent all Australian consumers. A demonstration shows what happened in that setting, not typical results for every user.
Pros and Cons of Using Survey Data in a Pitch
- ProsReflects direct responses from participants; useful for understanding attitudes or experiences
- ConsVoluntary participation may introduce bias; not representative of all Australians without proper sampling
Include the details that affect interpretation
For a numerical claim, give the journalist enough detail to identify:
- Source and measure:
- What produced the figure, and what was counted?
- Group and period:
- Which people, events or places are covered, and when?
- Base and comparison:
- What is the denominator, and are compared groups or periods defined consistently?
- Material exclusions:
- What was left out that could change the reading?
- Available material:
- Which table, document, calculation note or knowledgeable person can be consulted?
Include the details material to this claim. The pitch need not reproduce a full methodology note, but that fuller explanation should be ready if the story depends on it.
Key Elements for Verifying a Data Claim in a Pitch
- Source and measure
- What produced the figure and what was counted
- Group and period
- Which people, events or places are covered, and when
- Base and comparison
- Denominator and consistency of compared groups or periods
- Material exclusions
- What was left out that could change the reading
- Available material
- Table, document, calculation note or knowledgeable person for review
Put the limit beside the point
If records cover one company’s customers, name that group in the opening. If survey participants volunteered, do not present their answers as a measured view of everyone. If two measures moved together, do not say one caused the other unless the research supports that conclusion.
A concise qualification can make the next step clear. For example, describe a result as occurring “among customers recorded by this business during the period studied” if that is the population. Do not put “Australians” in the subject line and rely on a later caveat to narrow it.
Offer what can actually be checked
Say whether the journalist can receive a summary table, source document, calculation explanation or conversation with the person responsible. Explain any access limit. Do not promise raw records that cannot be shared, or suggest a figure is reproducible from material that omits its inputs or definitions.
Before sending, compare the claim with the material on offer. Could someone identify its group, base, period and main exclusions? If not, supply the missing explanation or narrow the claim. The aim is to make the proposed story assessable within the pitch, while leaving the journalist free to verify it independently.
