Within seconds of setting my eyes on a PR email, I know whether to open it and devour its contents or send it straight to the bin folder with the other discarded PR pitches waiting to be lost forever. During my eight years working as a journalist, choosing which PR emails to open while scrolling through pages of pitches, releases, case studies and AI-generated copy became second nature.
My recent role as a Affiliates Content Editor for multiple national and regional news websites meant selecting a handful of emails to read each day from over 80 that landed in my inbox. My aim was to hit the jackpot with an engaging newsworthy story relevant to our readers that will receive thousands of page views, earn impressive revenue and rank in Google Discover.
The worlds of journalism and PR are similar in that time is of the essence. Journalists aren’t looking for detailed polished copy, they need concise pitches to land in their inbox that contain a strong unique story with credible experts and data backed up with evidence that will appear in search and can be used across social. Arguably most important of all, the pitch needs to explain how the story will impact the publication’s audience.
In this guide, we explore the role of the PR pitch in the current era, what journalists are looking for (and what they really don’t want to see), with tips to pitch your story so it stands out to journalists today.
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What is a PR pitch – and what’s its real job?
A PR pitch should be a potential story, interview, expert contribution or an exclusive that’s to the point and targeted. It should highlight an editorial opportunity that answers the questions of the media outlet’s audience or educates them on a new topic. If you cannot show why this story matters to the journalist and their audience, you’re not ready to pitch it yet.
What journalists want from a PR pitch
Attention-grabbing newsworthy subject line
The email subject is the most important part of a PR pitch, as it grabs the journalist’s attention and can often be turned into the article’s headline. Short, snappy subjects that mention the key words of the topic as well as the publication the PR is targeting would always grab my attention. One of the first things I’d do after logging on in the morning is check the topics featured on Google Trends and see if I can incorporate these into our content plan for the day. If a trending topic is relevant to what you’re pitching, be sure to get it in the subject, as it shows it’s time-sensitive and newsworthy. If you can localise a pitch for a regional title, include the city/place name too.
Correct journalist and publication names
This is an issue that comes up more frequently than it should. If I can see the PR pitch isn’t addressed to me, it goes straight in the bin. Using the correct name and publication is essential, otherwise it suggests you haven’t done your research, you’re rushing through your PR pitches and, quite frankly, you don’t care.
Relevant to the journalist’s subject area and audience
Make it clear you’ve done your research on the journalist’s subject area and target audience by making the pitch relevant to them and include supporting evidence. I was always impressed if a journalist highlighted an article I’d written that was similar to the story they were pitching, as it showed they knew my subject area and that our readers would be interested.
To the point with key information
Journalists don’t want to have to scroll through paragraphs of information to find out the editorial opportunity. PRs should highlight within the first paragraph what the story is and why it is relevant. Rather than including mounds of information, quotes and data, ask the journalist if they’d like to know more.
Put the audience at the centre
Whether pitching to a broadcast journalist or a writer, all PR pitches should clearly show why the story is relevant to their specific outlet and audience. The information included should state why the reader/viewer/listener needs to know about this story and how it will impact them.
Include accompanying assets
If I could see a PR pitch had email attachments, I’d be more likely to open it. Stories that have useful assets such as images, data charts and videos mean the article package is pretty much all there ready to go.
Access to experts and case studies
Having access to experts and case studies is key to back up the story, as audiences like to know that what they’re being told has authority. Quotes and data also pad out the often short PR pitch, which is especially handy for journalists tasked with writing a long-form article.
What journalists don’t want to see in PR pitches
A subject line concealing the story
If I don’t know what the PR pitch is about after reading the subject line, I won’t open it. The subject needs to summarise the topic and why it’s newsworthy.
Claims with no proof
PR pitches that claim to contain a “revolutionary” or “industry-leading” story must contain proof from an expert or trustworthy data. This also includes survey results, as those that don’t show a clear methodology or access to respondents creates doubt in the journalist’s mind.
Mass mail-outs
Journalists can tell if a PR pitch has been emailed to everybody in their contact list. The story may have nothing to do with their area of expertise, or it could include errors such as “Hi [first name]” which has happened to me too many times. This shows the story is not unique and is not targeted specifically at me and my audience.
Obvious AI elements
AI can be a very handy tool, but it does have its downsides. Journalists don’t want to receive a PR pitch that’s clearly been created by AI due to its empty repetitive language, non-existent references, facts and links that haven’t been checked and a lack of human emotion/opinion. If using AI to aid PR pitches, be sure to check the email thoroughly and add human elements where needed.
Following up too soon
Don’t follow up with the journalist after a few hours of sending the pitch if there’s no new information. Give them time to read the email and discuss it with their newsroom. In some of my writer roles, I had to get approval from my section editor and the publication’s editor, which can take time. If you follow up too soon, it looks desperate and personally makes me think the PR is struggling to get coverage anywhere as they’re clinging to me. If no one else is touching the story, why should I?
How to write an effective PR pitch
- Subject line: State the strong newsworthy story or opportunity and localise if relevant.
- Opening line: Explain why it is relevant to that journalist and their audience right now.
- The story: Summarise the key finding, development or argument.
- The proof: Add the strongest statistic, quote, example or evidence.
- What is available: List the experts, data and assets available.
- Next step: End with one clear, low-effort action.
The best pitches begin before writing the email
Effective media relations starts with researching the audience and developing the story, figuring out why it’s newsworthy, relevant and interesting to that specific journalist. Strong digital PR should create credible signals that help a brand be found, discussed, trusted and chosen across editorial media, search, social platforms and AI-powered discovery. To explore No Brainer’s digital PR services or discuss a Search+Discovery® opportunity, contact the team using the form below.
