Crafting an effective media pitch is both an art and a science. Whether you’re a seasoned PR professional or just starting to build media relationships, your pitch can be the difference between securing valuable coverage or getting lost in the shuffle of a journalist’s inbox. Below, we break down the essential steps for writing a media pitch that captures attention and gets results.

Step 1: Verify the Newsworthiness and Accuracy of the Media Pitch

Before you even begin writing, take a step back and ask yourself: Why is this news important right now? Media professionals receive hundreds of pitches daily, and the ones they choose to cover must be timely, relevant, and impactful.

• Make it newsworthy: Review current trends and hot topics in the news cycle. Your pitch should connect to something relevant—whether it’s an emerging trend, industry shift, or a human-interest angle.
• Back it up with facts: Every claim you make in your pitch should be verifiable. Always attribute statistics, quotes, or data to credible sources. This not only builds trust but also saves the journalist time fact-checking.

Step 2: Write a Concise and Compelling Subject Line for Your Pitch

Think of your subject line as the headline of a news article. It needs to grab attention immediately or risk being ignored.

• Be brief: Keep it under 60 characters to avoid being cut off, especially on mobile devices. Journalists scan their inboxes quickly, so clarity is key.
• Avoid jargon: Use simple, clear language that anyone can understand, even if the topic is technical.
• Highlight news value: What’s in it for the journalist and their audience? Make that clear upfront.

Example:
“New Study Reveals 60% of Consumers Prefer Eco-Friendly Packaging”

Step 3: Capture the Journalist’s Interest in the First Line

Once your subject line convinces them to open the email, the first line of your pitch needs to keep their attention.

• Get to the point: You only have about 9 seconds on average before the reader moves on. Hook them with a compelling statement or question that piques their curiosity.
• Preview the story: Offer a quick snapshot of why this media pitch is relevant and why it matters to their audience.

Example:
“Imagine reducing your company’s carbon footprint by 50% — without increasing costs. Our new report shows how businesses are doing just that.”

Step 4: Identify and Target the Right Media Contacts

Even the best pitch will fall flat if it lands in the wrong inbox. Targeting is crucial.

• Do your homework: Build a media list of journalists, bloggers, podcast hosts, and influencers who cover your industry or niche. Look for people who have previously written about topics similar to your pitch.
• Personalize your outreach: Address the journalist by name and reference their recent work when appropriate. A tailored media pitch shows respect for their time and increases your chances of a response.
• Avoid general email addresses: Sending pitches to info@ or editor@ email addresses is rarely effective. Find the specific contact who covers your subject area.

Final Thoughts on Crafting a Winning Media Pitch

Writing an effective media pitch requires a blend of strategy, empathy, and precision. By ensuring your story is newsworthy, crafting a sharp subject line, engaging your reader right away, and sending it to the right person, you set the stage for successful media coverage.

Remember: Journalists are looking for stories that will engage their audiences. The more value and relevance you offer them, the more likely they are to say “yes.”

Media relations results require more than luck.

As a public relations professional, there’s no better feeling than seeing a client featured in a news story. There’s an exhilaration when an idea you’ve pitched appears in a magazine, newspaper, radio or the coveted TV spot. An earned media placement will impact a client’s awareness — and hopefully — their bottom line.

However, pitching isn’t easy. With fewer journalists, swifter news cycles and an extraordinary number of media outlets, communicators need to be savvy and strategic about formulating and targeting pitches. Muck Rack reports that there are now nearly 6 PR pros for every one journalist.

A 2021 Muck Rack survey stated that 34% of PR pros said finding and interacting with journalists is one of their biggest challenges. And 59% of journalists view their relationship with PR pros as mutually beneficial, but not quite a partnership. This decreased from 64% in 2020. Only 6% view it as a partnership.

Why is there such an inequity between PR professionals and journalists?

It’s no mystery that PR pros can’t do their media relations jobs successfully without journalists. And journalists depend on Public Relations outreach, too.

“I get roughly 300 emails a day. Most of the time, I read a subject line and that’s it. There’s just simply too many emails every day from publicists to be replying to each one. I can probably count on one hand the amount of general PR pitches I’ve responded to over the past few years. What they all have in common is they were targeted at BuzzFeed and me specifically. The publicist knew who I was, what kind of stories I write and was able to speak to this and why their pitch fit in line with that. They also know what BuzzFeed News is (hint: it’s not the same as BuzzFeed!) and why their story was of interest to our readers. It’s all obvious stuff, but you have to tailor your pitch like you would a cover letter for a job application.”

—David Mack, deputy director for breaking news at BuzzFeed News (source Muck Rack)

Personalization is key to getting a reporter’s attention.

It’s important to remember that each reporter is unique. In order to successfully connect with members of the media, know who they are and what they prefer when it comes to pitching. In Muck Rack’s Annual Journalist Survey, reporters cited lack of personalization as the number one reason they immediately reject pitches.

Writing the ideal pitch will not have “legs” if it is not strategically targeted. A political writer does not want to profile a new restaurant (unless the chef is a former president). An investigative journalist probably will not respond to a pitch about what’s trending in the fashion world. Educate yourself on a reporter’s areas of interest and get to know their point of view. Familiarize yourself with their writing style and how they communicate with their audience. Make each email distinctive to the individual. Remember that the ultimate goal is to establish or continue a relationship with the journalist.

Customize your pitch to their medium.

A wide-ranging PR campaign can be incredibly time consuming. Sending an initial mass email to all news outlets is, at times, the only course of action. However, this approach does not embolden coverage unless it is a very widely known product and/or personality. If possible, customize the pitch to the medium. When pitching a television producer, send clips or b-roll and include camera ready art to a print outlet. Reference the assets and describe how the visuals will enhance an interview or feature. If you want a reporter/editor/producer to accept your pitch, it needs to intrigue them — and contain something that that will engage their audience.

The media relations process — what happens next?

After sending a pitch, be respectful and allow the reporter enough time to decide if they are interested in covering the story. Give them a few days to review the pitch, and then follow up via email. If you don’t hear from them after a follow-up, assume they aren’t interested.

If a pitch is accepted, be sure to thank the reporter and share their story online. A share goes a long way, especially in a world where more reporters are being evaluated based on the success of their stories — 62% of journalists say they track how many times their stories are shared on social media.