The Public Relations Society of America Los Angeles Chapter hosted a breakfast panel with reporters and columnists from premier entertainment outlets, such as The Hollywood Reporter, omg! Insider, Entertainment Tonight and Los Angeles Times. The group of television personalities, Hollywood-beat writers, television producers and editors discussed their daily work routines, tips for establishing working relationships with entertainment media and the best way to catch their attention when pitching a story.
Below, we’ve outlined some takeaways from the presentation:
Trending now – Living in a “24-hour news cycle,” reporters and journalists in all industries rely heavily on digital media to get their news throughout the day. News is being updated around the clock by go-to sources via Twitter, YouTube and celebrity gossip sites. Staying in the loop via social media will help keep you ahead of the curve.
Show business – The lines between entertainment and other industries, such as finance, technology and the law, are growing finer and finer. Positioning your entertainment pitch within the context of another industry may pique the interest of other writers and editors within an organization.
Whatever it takes – If you have an interesting story or source with a lot of weight, then make sure you send it to the media the quickest way possible – call, email, even text! They want to be the first to know.
Hollywood never sleeps and neither does the Hollywood media. In an environment so inundated by media coverage and celebrity gossip, it takes thoughtful, creative pitching to break through the noise.
