In my public relations capstone class, our professor raised the question – As a PR professional, how long do you wait to pitch the media after a major event like Osama Bin Laden’s death?

The answer’s in class varied from, “At least a week,” to “You don’t need to,”. The most interesting responses came from those who believe it really does depends on what kind of media you’re pitching to.

Are you pitching to CNN or a local paper’s style section writer? Who you’re pitching to can make all the difference.

One of my favorite bloggers, Heather Whaling of prTini, blogged and hosted a Twitter chat based around this question last week. PRDaily posted that PR pros should wait at least a week before doing ANY pitching. But is this really necessary?

In the Twitter chat,  some said don’t pitch, but there were other good points as well:

1. You have to understand who you’re pitching to. If that person is involved in breaking news, you shouldn’t bother.
2. Not all news is front page news.
3. Do you have a deadline?
4. The news cycle is faster than ever.
5. Why would it be inappropriate to pitch a smaller paper reporter the next day?

Just when I thought I couldn’t possibly get another hobby, I decided to get my Spinning certification last Saturday. I love Spinning. Since the first of the year, I’ve reduced my body two inches on all major parts. In part thanks to Jillian Michaels but let’s face it, Jillian’s not in my face daily like my Spinning instructors and Spinning bikes are. I keep watching my body fat melt away due to Spinning. For someone, like me, who suffers from scoliosis and sits in front of computer pitching the media news stories and angles, feeling healthy and fit is such a gift (and something that needs consistent work). Our bodies aren’t made to sit all day. That’s why I’ve been trying to beat blogger butt for quite some time. I wanted to know all about Spinning since getting hooked January 2011. Like any of my interests: whitewater kayaking, off-road motorcycles, hot glass jewelry I wanted to dig in deep. I get borderline obsessive about any hobby I take on. (It’s my Type A personality for sure.) New hobbies are such a rush.  Most important, though, it’s another story angle for the media who interview me about my business paths. Just like hobbies on a resume, they become a conversation piece. People love to hear what makes people tick. So, write down your hobbies! They’re story angles. I was once covered by the Cincinnati Business Journal because they wanted an enterpreneur who pursued extreme sports. They put a picture of me in my whitewater kayak front and center in the article. What hobbies do you have? Be sure to tell the media about them because you never know, it might land you on the cover of your favorite magazine or in a segment with your favorite TV show. In any case, add it to your website, your blog and include it in your social media. Your hobbies make you human and draw new communities of people to you. People love people. Cast a net to draw like-minded people to yourself. If you don’t have a hobby, why not try something new this week? Then talk about it online. You’d be surprised how many people (and possibly media) you attract to yourself.