Newsrooms are inundated with pitches every day. To make sure your story gets noticed and, more importantly, picked up, you need to stand out. Here is some tried-and-true advice from industry insiders to help you craft a compelling news pitch that will grab the attention of any newsroom.

🟦 Know Your Audience

Before you even start writing your pitch, research the newsroom or journalist you're targeting. Understand their audience, the types of stories they cover, and their editorial style. Tailor your pitch to fit their specific interests and needs. Don't pitch a medical story to a journalist who covers entertainment.

🟦 Craft a Compelling Subject Line

Your subject line is the first thing a journalist will see, and it can make or break your pitch. Make it concise, attention-grabbing, and relevant. A good subject line should pique curiosity and hint at the story's importance or unique angle.

🟦 Personalize Your Message

Journalists are busy, and you have only a few seconds to capture their interest. With so many companies being targeted by hackers, many newsrooms now have flags at the top of every external email. That means any email viewed on mobile, which is how most working journalsits view their email when they're away from their desk, only provides one or two sentences at most that the journalist can actually see. Always put their name FIRST. This will ensure a journalist who is scrolling down their 300 emails will know yours was sent directly to them. If you are pitching to an entire newsroom, make sure you put the correct name of the media outlet. You'd be surprised at how many emails newsrooms receive that say "Good morning, [insert newsroom here]." Those are instant deletes.

🟦 Be Clear and Concise

Get to the point quickly. Provide the essential details of your story in the first few sentences. Avoid jargon and lengthy explanations. Aim for clarity and brevity, making it easy for journalists to understand the core of your story at a glance. Don't waste time trying to impress a newsroom with your fancy release. We won't read it. Just tell us the basic facts.

🟦 Highlight the Newsworthiness

Emphasize what makes your story newsworthy. Consider elements such as timeliness, relevance, human interest, impact, or proximity. Explain why your story is important now and why it would resonate with the newsroom's audience.

🟦 Include Availability Details

Many PR folks pitch a story idea without first confirming the interview subject they are offering is even available. Make sure to include interview availability when pitching a story or segment idea. When can we interview them or when are they unavailable due to meetings? Make this easy. If a journalist has to work to figure out how they can even do the story, they will quickly move on.

🟦 Offer Exclusive Content

Newsrooms love exclusive stories. If possible, offer your pitch as an exclusive to a specific outlet. This can increase the likelihood of coverage as it provides the newsroom with unique content that their competitors don't have.

🟦 Provide Relevant Background Information

While your pitch should be concise, it's helpful to include a brief background on the topic. Provide context that helps the journalist understand the significance of the story. Attach a fact sheet or a link to a detailed press release for further reading.

🟦 Be Available for Follow-up

Include your contact information and make it clear that you are available for follow-up questions or additional information. Prompt and professional responses to inquiries can make a big difference in building a good relationship with the newsroom.

🟦 Follow Up, But Don’t Be Pushy

If you haven’t heard back after a few days, it’s acceptable to send a polite follow-up email. However, avoid being overly persistent. Respect the journalist’s time and workload. Also understand they may have simply not seen your original email. Journalists receive hundreds of pitches, viewer comments, viewer tips, and internal company emails. Deleting a pitch by mistake happens all the time.

🎥 🗞️

Getting the attention of a newsroom can be challenging, but with the right approach, your pitch can stand out from the crowd. By knowing your audience, crafting a strong hook, and highlighting the newsworthiness of your story, you increase your chances of getting your story covered.

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