Hey SRL alumni,

I can’t believe it’s already 2023! I always feel a sense of excitement in January when I think about all the possibilities the new year is going to bring.

One of the most exciting things I get to do in my job at SRL is review pitches. I learn so much from seeing students’ ideas and discovering what kinds of stories they want to make with SRL.

But what exactly is a pitch? And what makes a good one?

Before I became a journalist, no one ever taught me. I learned by trial and error. 

In journalism, a pitch is an idea for a story that you send to an editor in hopes they give you the green light, so you can move forward to make your story and get it published.

I asked student journalist Dakota Hendren of Royal Oak, Michigan to share some helpful tips on what makes a good pitch. Last fall, she pitched a story about youth voting right before the midterm elections. It was timely and newsy! She did research and had a plan before she sent the pitch to us. For her story, Dakota talked to students in her school about how they feel about politics and voting and even got to ask Vice President Kamala Harris a question about it at a press event. 

One of my former editors used to tell me, “Always be pitching!” It’s still good advice. The world needs to hear your ideas.

Cheers,
Marie Cusick
SRL Editorial Director

P.S. Got a great idea? Send a pitch: marie@reportinglabs.org