By: Jessa Robles
We’ve all had that one story; the one that sits heavy on your heart daily and keeps you awake at night. Thinking about a story idea to pitch to the media is one thing, but making it happen and pitching for a purpose is another.
There are a variety of news stories, which include:
•Personal Profiles: Capture the character of a person and what makes him or her unique.
•Features: Dig deeper into a person, event, organization or issue to better explain the subject to the public.
•Editorials: Stories with facts and opinions usually written by newspaper staff, reporters, community leaders and experts.
•Special Events: Cover the who, what, when, where and why of an upcoming event.
•Announcements: Written to announce an upcoming event or new hire.
•Human Interest: Focuses on a subject that interests readers to want to know more.
Human-interest stories are unique, though, because they embrace and showcase the human face behind a trending topic, medical condition and the list goes on an on. Recently, our team discovered a story idea that would provide the linkage between success in young adults and overcoming disabilities.
Darius Way, a graduating senior from the Center Academy in Riverview, FL achieved perfect attendance since elementary school, while overcoming obstacles such as ADHD and Asperger’s Syndrome.
Harvard University conducted a study that revealed 77 percent of people find most news to be negative leaving only 23 percent of news as positive.
Pitching with a purpose further validates that storytelling with a human face can have not only a lasting affect on you or your business, but also on the community. Take a look at the responses to the story that ran on ABC Action News, Plant City Observer and Tampa Bay Times and share with us how pitching with a purpose has affected you or the bottom line.