About Sue Pierman

SpiermanSue Pierman honed her expertise in writing, communications and public relations at premier Wisconsin organizations such as Aurora Health Care and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, The Milwaukee Journal and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Pierman Communications services include media and public relations, media training, writing, editing, corporate communications, crisis communications, marketing communications, social media, web content and content management.

As a former journalist, Sue knows what it takes to develop compelling story ideas that grab the media’s attention, and she has a reputation for providing news outlets with clients who are well-prepared, articulate and knowledgeable during interviews. Locally, Sue has placed stories with Milwaukee Public Radio, TMJ4, Fox 6, WISN 12, CBS 58, WUWM-FM, M Magazine, the BizTimes, The Business Journal of Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

In addition to local media coverage, Sue has placed stories with national media such as the Associated Press, USA Today, Parenting.com, Careerbuilder.com and national trade publications.

Latest Blog Posts
  • How to build relationships with reporters

    How to build relationships with reporters

    Reporters are people, just like you and me. They are serious about their jobs, want to do good work and enjoy hearing compliments. If you want to make a connection with a reporter, remember that. Reporters often get a bad rap and are criticized for being inaccurate or ruthless. What some people …
  • The inside story of ‘off the record’

    The inside story of ‘off the record’

    Should you ever go off the record? This is a question PR pros and journalists can debate for hours. Personally, I don’t recommend a client ever go off the record. There is just too much room for misunderstanding. Some people will toss off a comment and then add: “By the …
  • The PR skill you can’t live without

    The PR skill you can’t live without

    What does it take to be an extraordinary public relations pro? Talent? Writing ability? Great relationships with media? Sure. But you also need this: organization. As a public relations consultant, you must juggle multiple details for multiple clients. Take just one area of PR: media relations. I vet incoming media …
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PR Tip

How to Craft a Successful TV pitch

Always remember that, when pitching the media, it’s important to consider what they want.

And what does TV news want most of all? Visuals, and lots of them.

Today’s audiences like action, and lots of it. With the advent of social media, attention spans are dwindling by the second. In order to grab and keep viewers, you have to keep offering information that is interesting and relevant.

No media outlet wants to air a static interview where you see only talking heads. Think about B-roll, background video that you can provide to help illustrate your story. Consider using statistics to create a graphic. Offer before and after photos, provide logos of your business, write bullet points that can be superimposed, or “supered,” onscreen, give them your web address, etc.

Most important, remember it’s not all about what you want. To successfully pitch a topic, consider what audiences want, and you’ll likely get the chance to tell your story.

What Sue’s Clients Say

“Sue has an extraordinary ability to connect with the media. She is gifted at finding angles that appeal to news directors and reporters and is meticulous in preparing her guests for interviews. Sue worked with Stillwaters Cancer Support Services to promote our annual Hospital Food Fight fundraiser. Not only did she secure a slot for us on The Morning Blend, our target audience, but she walked us through every aspect of the interview.

Immediately after the show aired, registrations and calls were coming in. We got rave reviews for our interview skills on the show, and it was all because of Sue’s expert coaching. She also helped promote the interview and the event via social media. I can’t recommend her highly enough - her media connections, media training, writing and editing are stellar.”

Theresa Reagan, Executive Director, Stillwaters Cancer Support Services, Waukesha, Wis.