Newspaper food sections shrinking, so pitch wisely

If you’re pitching food editors and reporters at daily or weekly newspapers, your job is more difficult than ever.

As newspapers continue to cut staff, lifestyle-related sections are among the first on the chopping block.

Also, at many papers, sections such as food, travel and entertainment are no longer stand-alone sections. They’re combined under one section simply called “Lifestyle.”

The Aug. 4 issue of PRWeek offers these pitching tips:

—If you’re pitching a specific type of food product, be sure it’s available in that newspaper’s market.

–Pitch seasonal angles, and cooking meals that are convenient.

–Make sure your pitch has a local angle. One way to do that is to get local farmers involved in fresh- and health-eating stories. For example, organic produce is available in many supermarkets, and much of it is grown locally. But organic fruits and vegetables often look bruised and unattractive. Try contacting local organic farmers who can offer tips on how to buy organic produce. How do you know if an organic apple is bruised, or if it’s supposed to look ugly?

During the teleseminar I conducted with Jamie Oikle from RestaurantReport.com on “Publicity Tips for Restaurants, Chefs & Foodies,” I suggested pitching trends—whether you’re a restaurant that’s seeing more requests for vegetarian dishes or a store that’s slowly eliminating low-carb food items because the low-carb trend is dying.

Here’s my own tip: Check to see if the food editor or one of the food reporters or columnists blogs. If they do, read the blog. You’ll quickly learn about what food topics they think are important. Post a comment to their blog, then pitch them a week or two later. See my article “Let Bloggers Create Publicity for You.”