Journalists Reveal the Do's and Don'ts for Pitching to the Media

With so many social media outlets, news feeds, aggregate sites and deadlines competing for a journalist’s attention, it can be virtually impossible to figure out what makes for successful media pitching.

How do you stand out in a journalist’s already inundated inbox without resorting to tricks or gimmicks? And that’s only half the battle: the next step is convincing the journalist to cover your story.

In this quick and easy guide, 10 Media Pitching Tips, we review proven strategies that are both approved and recommended by journalists, bloggers, and media influencers worldwide.

Complete the form and download our 10 Media Pitching Tips.

What is Media Pitching, and What are its Benefits?

A media pitch is a proposal sent to journalists and media outlets by PR professionals to drum up interest in an idea, topic, or story, with the goal to generate earned media coverage for your brand. This helps you get your brand’s message out to a wider audience. You can – and should – include details like the angle, the message, any data available, experts ready to participate, and more in the pitch.

The challenge of pitching is that journalists are often inundated with media pitches. In fact, according to the 2024 State of the Media Report, one in two journalists receive more than 50 pitches per week. To help your pitch stand out from the crowd, we’ve gathered insights from over 3,000 journalists to insider tips for pitching to the media, such as:

  • What makes a compelling media pitch
  • What assets and information to include when pitching to the media
  • What not to do when pitching the media.

Remember that there is no “one size fits all” approach to media pitching. This tip sheet will help you understand what it takes to tailor your message to the recipient as much as possible and improve the responses of your pitches, and get more earned media coverage.

Fill in the form to get these journalist-approved media pitching strategies.

Why Do You Need These Media Pitching Tips?

Even with a compelling, newsworthy story to tell about your brand or client, your media pitch needs to be just as compelling to capture journalists’ attention and entice them to cover it. Our media pitching tips are based on feedback from over 3,000 journalists, so you know it's comprehensive.

This tip sheet provides a window into what journalists truly want, and how to make your media pitching more successful. Make pitching to the media easier by following tactics that are proven to work, with data to back it up.

Get these tips for pitching to the media by filling in the form.

Please fill out the details across the page to download the tip sheet. NOTE: the demo check box is optional and should only be ticked if you'd like a CisionOne demo.

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