Pitch With the Heart of an Athlete

For executive editor of SI.com B. J. Schecter, Sports Illustrated and its online vertical are like twins in more ways than one. ”While SI.com has the same DNA as the magazine, the content is almost entirely original,” he said.

So for those hungry for a SI byline, try pitching  SI.com.

The website is driven by hard news, as it is primarily a 24/7 daily news site focused on breaking stories. But for Schecter, a perfect pitch doesn’t need hardcore in-depth analysis or stats. All he really wants is heart.

Human interest stories, such as a player who helps a cancer patient or a trainer who rebounds from adversity, will always do well at SI.com. ”Whether that player is well-known or not, for us it’s about telling good stories and human interest and playing to a national audience,” he said. “No matter what you pitch, those should be things you take into consideration.”

Read mediabistro.com’s How To Pitch: SI.com for contact info for Schecter and more details on the types of stories his team wants. [sub req'd]

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