Smart businesses know when (and when not) to send a pitch to the media during a national crisis. Always take a people-first approach and be sensitive to members of the media. You never know how a crisis personally impacts an individual. In addition, pitching at the wrong time or pitching the wrong information during a national crisis can damage your company's reputation. Below are a few guidelines for pitching during a national crisis. IF YOU CAN HELP... If you have information related to the crisis and it is not opportunistic, it is appropriate to pitch a story relevant to the crisis to any form of media within 1-7 days of the crisis.