27 - To Newsjack, or Nah?

When big news breaks, it's tempting to check if there's a chance to add your company's voice to the issue (how's your Pokemon Go pitch coming along, by the way?).

As March Senior Account Executive Alex Jafarzadeh recently wrote, the recent Brexit story provided interesting examples of what works and what can go wrong when you try to offer your spokesperson to reporters as an expert on a major timely news story.

"Newsjacking," as this PR strategy is called, can pay off when you have a legitimate angle or comment to offer a journalist. However, a poorly conceived pitch might come off as trivial, clueless and even tasteless depending on the story and timing.

On this week's Hacks and Flacks, we ask Alex and March Account Director Courtney Allen: when does this type of pitching cross the line, and how can PR pros ensure that their pitch actually benefits both the reporter and their client?

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The Innovator’s Mic, from March Communications, explores technology, innovation and the people who make it happen. Each episode we’ll pick the brains of true innovators who hail from across the technology, marketing and PR worlds, getting into the weeds of what makes them tick, how they get their stories out there, and what they’re focused on right now. From AI to health tech to diversity and inclusion in tech, listen in as we discuss the intricacies of what it’s like to have a tech insider’s knowledge with an outsider’s perspective. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and follow us on social media @marchcomms to be the first to know who’s on the mic next.