5 PR Mistakes to Avoid When Pitching in Disaster Areas

By Sarah Huard

November 25, 2024

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For many people, 2024 has been an unusually difficult year. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell recently reported a nearly 50% increase in major disasters this year compared to 2023, and on Monday President Biden asked congress for $100 billion in disaster relief funding, largely in response to the destruction from Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene in the southeast. 

These events are indicative of a larger trend that has seen natural disasters increasing year over year as a result of climate change. Unfortunately, journalists living in disaster areas often continue to be peppered with irrelevant pitches and requests for coverage, from people seemingly ignorant of or insensitive to the local situation. 

While you don’t have to pause all pitching when a major disaster like Hurricane Milton hits, it’s important to demonstrate consideration, especially for those who might not know where they’re sleeping that night. So, here are 5 ways to avoid PR mistakes before you hit send. 

1. Check Local Trending Stories

Before pitching, research whether the area is currently undergoing a disaster or some other major disruptive event. If so, avoid unrelated pitches as journalists are likely focused on covering the disaster or managing personal recovery.

Even after a disaster, journalists may spend weeks or months covering recovery efforts. Monitor the situation and consider delaying pitching as long as local coverage is still focused on rebuilding.

2. Don’t Hesitate to Offer Help and Relevant Stories

If you have a pitch that directly benefits the recovery effort – such as emergency resources, disaster-relief technologies, or stories of resilience – highlight its relevance clearly and respectfully. Consider including a brief note recognizing the challenges journalists might be facing as well. 

It’s important to note that even these pitches may not be ideal if the journalists on the receiving end are still in survival mode.

Social media profiles can often tell you if a journalist is ready to receive pitches, so do your research ahead of time. Someone who has just lost their house yesterday might not be quite ready to sift through a packed inbox today. 

3. Avoid Promotional Language

Regardless of the exact topic you’re covering, even if it’s highly relevant to disaster recovery and disaster resilience, be very careful of using a salesy tone.

Phrases like “first of its kind,” “groundbreaking,” “revolutionary,” etc. make you sound more like a huckster and less like a concerned PR professional. No one wants to receive an aggressive sales pitch during a natural disaster.

4. Don’t Cave to Executive Pressure

Every once in a while, you may have executives or managers that view your pitches and want you to add a bit more spice. Maybe they want you to push a product or service a little harder, since it could be helpful to an area that’s undergoing a disaster.

Or maybe they insist you need to target local news with a local product release announcement even though that product has nothing to do with disaster recovery. 

We’ve probably all been in the position of pitching something that we feel queasy about because the boss says we have to.

However, there may be the times when you as a PR pro need to rely on your years of expertise and explain to executives that their choice could damage the reputation of their brand. Journalists have been known to blast tone-deaf, clueless, or overly promotional pitches on social media.

A thoughtless pitch could damage your career and cast a bad light on the business as a whole. 

5. Remember that AI is Fallible

AI has become an invaluable tool for geographic targeting, allowing PR professionals to tailor pitches based on location with remarkable precision. It can analyze data from multiple sources, such as public records, social media activity, and localized trends, to identify the geographical areas where specific stories or campaigns are most relevant.

For example, AI-driven tools can segment media lists by location or even predict regional interest in certain topics based on historical engagement. You might also be using AI to avoid pitching journalists in disaster areas. 

However, AI is not infallible. Many AI tools don’t have real-time data, which means that they may encourage you to pitch stories to journalists listed in a region without accounting for a recent relocation or evacuation due to a disaster.

In addition, if you’re using AI to help write pitches but don’t adequately edit AI-generated content, you may end up sending out a lighthearted or irrelevant pitch to a disaster-stricken area. 

So use AI to identify potential target regions, but always verify its recommendations manually, especially during times of crisis.

Want more advice on how to avoid PR pitfalls during busy, sensitive news cycles like the US elections? Check out our article: 7 Ways to Avoid PR Disasters Near the Elections

Final Thoughts

Most experts expect natural disasters to worsen as the effects of climate change grow. That means that we’re likely to see an increase in natural disasters in the coming years.

Whenever you’re getting ready to send a pitch, make sure you know the geographic location of the recipient and have done your homework to ensure that your pitches aren’t coming across as insensitive during a difficult time. 

If you’re unsure about the campaigns that you need to pitch to disaster areas, feel free to set up a free consultation with us. We’ll have a look at your strategy and help you avoid these PR mistakes.