"Available for Interview" Isn't Enough: Pitch What the Media Can Build

It's common to see pitch materials or pitch emails that simply say "available for interview."

We tend to write from the angle of "we want this covered." But the person receiving it is always looking at it from a maker's perspective — asking whether this can actually become content. Missing that structural gap is often why a pitch doesn't land.

What Each Medium Needs

What a maker needs varies by medium.

For TV, it's who can speak, what they can say, and what visuals can be captured.

For web media, it's what the hook is, and whether the comments or photos carry the story far enough.

For radio, it's — assuming no visuals — what can be discussed, what the tone sounds like, and whether listeners would stay engaged on voice alone.

Answer It in the Pitch

This isn't something to answer after the fact, once someone calls to ask. It's something worth having ready in the pitch from the start.

Not what we want to put out, but what the other side can actually build. Framing it that way tends to change the response rate.

Natsuki Suzuki is the founder of BANTO, which provides back-office support — accounting, HR and payroll, and administration — to overseas companies and their Japan entities. She spent 15 years in Europe and brings both sides of the cultural equation to every engagement.