How to pitch journalists (with a template)

Research before you write

Read the journalist’s last five articles. Note the angles they prefer, the sources they quote and whether they lean on data, experts or personal stories. Check which section they write for and whether they have covered your competitors recently.

• What do they write about most often?
• Do they quote experts, use studies or prefer human stories?
• Which section or newsletter do they write for?
• Have they covered this exact topic in the last few months?

A pitch that references a recent piece and builds on it shows you are offering something useful. A pitch that could have gone to anyone reads like it did.

The anatomy of a good pitch

1. Subject line written like a headline.
2. Opening line with the news and the key number.
3. One line on why it fits the journalist’s recent coverage.
4. Evidence: data source, sample size or expert credentials.
5. Offer: interview, charts, regional data or an exclusive.
6. Sign-off with a name and a phone number that will be answered.

Each part earns the next. If the subject line does not get the email opened, nothing else matters; if the first line does not deliver the news, the journalist stops reading.

Subject lines that get opened

Think like an editor scanning an inbox on a phone. Specific numbers, places and people beat adjectives every time.

• Good: “Lisbon tops new ranking for remote worker savings”
• Good: “1 in 3 freelancers raised prices this year, survey finds”
• Weak: “Exciting new research from our brand”
• Weak: “Press release: company announces study”

If your subject line could be the headline of the journalist’s article, you are close.

A pitch template you can adapt

1. Subject: the headline, with a number or place.
2. “Hi [name], I read your piece on [recent article].”
3. The finding and the evidence, in one sentence.
4. Why it matters to their readers right now.
5. What you can offer: full data, a regional cut, an expert available today.
6. Your name, role and phone number.

Keep it under 150 words. Paste the key figures into the email body; many newsrooms filter attachments, and nobody opens a PDF to find out whether a story is worth their time.

Adapting one story for different journalists

The facts stay the same; the opening changes. For a money writer, lead with what readers save or lose. For a property writer, lead with rents and moving. For a regional reporter, lead with the local figure. For a trade editor, lead with what it means for professionals in their sector.

Write each version before you send anything. It takes an hour and means you can reply instantly when a journalist asks for the angle that suits them.

Reactive pitches

When news breaks, journalists need comment within hours. A reactive pitch is two or three sentences: who your expert is, the opinion they hold and when they are available. Speed and a clear point of view matter far more than polish.

• Prepare expert bios and pre-approved positions in advance.
• Watch the news and journalist request platforms daily.
• Send the comment itself, not an offer to comment.
• Make sure the expert can take a call the same day.

Mistakes that get pitches deleted

• Attachments with no explanation in the email
• Long company introductions before the news
• Pitching the wrong beat entirely
• Sending the same email to a whole newsroom
• Chasing more than once without anything new
• Calling to ask whether the email arrived

A worked example

Here is an illustrative pitch for a home insurance brand that analysed claims data: kitchen fires spike on one particular evening each year.

• Subject: “Kitchen fire claims double on Christmas Eve, insurer data shows”
• Opening: the finding, the data source and the time period covered.
• Relevance: a nod to the journalist’s recent piece on festive safety.
• Offer: regional figures, a safety expert available for broadcast and a simple checklist graphic.

The pitch is under 120 words. It works because the journalist can see the story, the evidence and the next step in about ten seconds, which is often all the attention a pitch gets.

Pitching data versus pitching opinion

Data pitches need clear sourcing: who was surveyed or what was analysed, when, and how. Put the method in one line of the pitch and the full detail on your study page. Journalists who cannot verify a number quickly will skip it.

Opinion pitches need a clear point of view and credentials that justify it. “Our CEO can comment” is not a pitch. “Our head of payments thinks the new fee cap will hurt small retailers, and here is why” is.

After the pitch

1. If a journalist replies, answer within hours, not days.
2. Send exactly what they asked for: numbers, quotes or images.
3. Confirm how your expert and brand should be named.
4. When the piece runs, thank them and share it.
5. If the link is missing, ask once, politely, explaining why it helps readers.

How you handle a reply decides whether the journalist comes back to you next time. If you want experts pitched and placed every week without building this process yourself, that is exactly what our expert commentary service does.

Frequently asked questions