skills/public-relations/references/journalist-pitching.md
Building a media list, scoring journalist fit, and crafting pitches that actually get opened. This is a 4–8 week practice, not a one-shot.
The goal: a list of 20–40 journalists who actually cover your beat. Not 500 names from a database.
For each candidate journalist:
| Method | How |
|---|---|
| Reverse lookup from coverage you want | Find 5 articles about competitors / your category, note bylines |
| Topic search on Muck Rack | Free tier shows journalists by topic |
| X / Twitter lists | "[your niche] reporters" lists already exist |
| LinkedIn search | "Journalist" + "[your category]" — filter by recent activity |
| Newsletter author pages | Beehiiv, Substack, ConvertKit creators are pitchable |
| Podcast host research | Listen to 1 episode before pitching — non-negotiable |
Score each journalist 1–10 across four dimensions. Sum and rank. Focus on top 20.
| Dimension | What it measures | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Beat match | Do they cover your category specifically? | 3x |
| Reach | Outlet's audience size + their byline traction | 2x |
| Engagement | Do they respond to pitches publicly / on X? | 2x |
| Recency | Have they written about a related topic in last 30d? | 1x |
Tiering:
Six structures that work. Pick the one that matches your story.
Subject: [Specific stat] — [implication]
Hi [name],
I noticed you covered [recent article] — wanted to share data that might
be relevant.
We [analyzed N / surveyed N / tracked N] and found:
• [Stat 1 with surprise factor]
• [Stat 2]
• [Stat 3]
The most interesting pattern: [one-sentence insight].
Full data + methodology here: [link to one-pager, not your homepage]
Happy to share the raw dataset, jump on a call, or connect you with
[customer who's relevant].
[your name + 1-line credential]
Subject: Exclusive: [specific milestone] at [company]
Hi [name],
I have an exclusive on [milestone] that I think fits your [beat] coverage.
The story: [one sentence]
Why it matters: [one sentence — for their readers, not for you]
What's new: [the actual news, not the marketing line]
Embargo until [day, time, timezone] — would love to give you first
window. Press kit + assets: [link]
Free to talk [two specific time options].
[your name]
Subject: Op-ed pitch: [provocative thesis]
Hi [name],
I read your piece on [recent article] — sharp take on [specific point].
I'd like to pitch a 700-word op-ed: "[Thesis as a headline]"
Core argument:
• [Point 1]
• [Point 2]
• [Point 3 — the surprising one]
Why me: [1 sentence — credential or unique vantage]
Why now: [1 sentence — the news hook]
Can have a draft to you by [date]. Happy to adapt to your house style.
[your name]
Subject: Customer story for [their beat] — [specific outcome]
Hi [name],
For your [beat] coverage, I have a [customer type] willing to talk on
the record about [specific outcome].
The hook: [customer] [did something specific] and [measurable result].
The interesting part: [the surprising or counterintuitive detail].
Customer details:
• Name: [name, title, company]
• Available: [windows]
• Willing to share: [data points / screenshots / metrics]
Happy to coordinate the intro.
[your name]
Subject: Trend forming in [space] — three signals
Hi [name],
Three things in [space] this month that I think connect:
1. [Signal 1 with link]
2. [Signal 2 with link]
3. [Signal 3 — yours, briefly]
The pattern: [one sentence].
This might be early for a piece, but if you're tracking the space I
wanted to flag it. Happy to share data we've collected or connect you
with others seeing the same.
[your name]
Subject: Re: [their article headline] — quick data point
Hi [name],
Saw your piece on [story] this morning — wanted to add a relevant
data point in case you do a follow-up.
[One-sentence stat or insight].
Source: [our data / our customers / our analysis]
Methodology: [one sentence]
Quotable: "[a sentence you'd be comfortable seeing in print]"
If useful for a follow-up, I'm around all day at this number: [phone].
[your name]
Journalists open pitches based on the subject line alone. Rules:
Test against this question: would you open this in a 200-email inbox?
Patterns that work:
Patterns that get deleted:
150 words max for the pitch. If you can't say it in 150 words, you don't know what your story is yet.
Revolutionary, disruptive, game-changing, paradigm shift, leverage, synergy, robust, seamless, holistic, world-class, best-in-class, next-generation, cutting-edge, AI-powered (unless that's the actual differentiation), at-the-end-of-the-day.
An embargo is "you can write this story, but don't publish until [time]."
"Only you get this story" — powerful tool, use sparingly.
Never:
Things that instantly disqualify your pitch:
# Most journalists' emails follow patterns:
# [email protected]
# [email protected]
# [email protected]
# Use Hunter.io, RocketReach, or just guess and bounce-check
Use dev-browser (persistent session, no rate limits) to:
Output what you find as:
JOURNALIST PROFILE — [name]
Outlet: [name]
Beat: [topics from last 5 articles]
Recent angle: [pattern you noticed]
Recent X activity: [what they're posting]
Score: [X/40 from rubric]
Best pitch angle: [from template library]
Email: [confirmed]
Store in .agents/media-list.md (or .csv if you prefer). Update monthly — journalists move jobs constantly.
## Tier 1 (top 20)
| Name | Outlet | Beat | Last contact | Last coverage | Email | Score |
|------|--------|------|--------------|---------------|-------|-------|
| ... | ... | ... | 2026-05-15 | none yet | ... | 9/10 |
Track in a simple spreadsheet:
After 30 pitches, you'll see which subject patterns and which angles work for you specifically.