How to Write a Media Pitch (With Samples)

The best media pitch sample I can give you is a short, personal email to one journalist that offers one specific story idea and explains why their audience would care this month. Give it a subject line that reads like a headline, and put the newsworthy detail in the first two sentences. If you receive no response, send one follow-up email with new information.

My guide on how to get press coverage for your small business explains where pitching fits in your wider publicity plan, how I select reporters, and the five-part structure I use. Here I want to give you the actual emails, specifically three complete pitches you can copy, along with subject line examples and a follow-up message.

What is a media pitch?

A media pitch, also called a PR pitch, is a personal email that suggests one story to one journalist or producer, written for that person and the audience they serve. Its only purpose is to earn a reply, so it needs enough detail for the journalist to evaluate whether the story is relevant to their readers. That detail matters most when you are pitching cold to a reporter who is unfamiliar with your company.

Reporters pitch too, because many of them have to persuade an editor before they can pursue a story. Your idea has to survive that second conversation, which you will never hear. Poynter, the nonprofit journalism institute, lists the questions reporters should answer before they pitch an editor, and two of them ask what is new about the story and why the reader or viewer will care. If your pitch already answers both questions, the reporter can carry your idea directly into that conversation with their editor.

Media pitch vs press release: What is the difference?

A press release is a formal, third-person announcement written for anyone who receives it, while a media pitch is a personal message to an individual journalist. The Rutgers communications office says a press release tries to show the newsworthiness of a person, event, service, or product to editors and reporters. Its standard components include a headline, a dateline, and a boilerplate paragraph about the organization.

A release reads identically in every inbox, which is why it suits formal announcements such as funding or a merger. A pitch can explain to one reporter why the story belongs in their section and offer that reporter an interview or an exclusive. If you also have a release, link to it below your signature so the reporter can verify the official details whenever they need them.

When a reporter requests photography and background information, send your press kit so everything is available in one place. My Substack post on how to create a press kit for your small business explains exactly what to include.

How long should a media pitch be?

I keep a first pitch under 150 words, and I explain the reasoning in my press coverage guide. The sequence of your pitch matters even more than length, because a busy journalist may read only the opening lines. Position the story and its relevance this month at the top, where someone reading on a phone sees it immediately.

Each email in the thread needs a different length, depending on how much the journalist already knows about your story:

• A first pitch contains one idea and one specific offer, and your company description gets a single line.
• A follow-up email runs two to four sentences and adds one new detail the journalist has not received.
• Once a journalist expresses interest, your reply can be as long as necessary, because they requested the detail.

When a pitch runs long, cut the company history and promotional words such as “innovative” first, because a journalist who wants those details will ask for them.

How to write media pitch subject lines

The subject line determines whether a journalist opens your email. Write it the way the publication might write the headline, with the most specific fact first, so a reporter scanning a crowded inbox understands the story from that line alone.

Avoid vague subject lines that hide the story, such as “Quick question” or “Story idea,” and omit the word “exclusive” unless you are offering the story to that one publication first. All capitals, exclamation points, and “Press release” at the beginning make a pitch resemble a mass email, even when you personalized it for one journalist.

Here are media pitch subject line examples for five common story angles, with brackets wherever your own details belong:

• New data: [number]% of [type of customer] in [region] now [surprising behavior].
• [Business name] in [neighborhood] marks [milestone] after [number] years.
• What [new rule or event] means for [the people the reporter writes for].
• Why [common advice in your industry] is wrong, from a [your role] who [proof].
• [Season or date]: [the practical angle your expertise adds].

Media pitch sample 1: A data story for a trade reporter

Use this media pitch email template if you run a tech startup or any company with its own numbers, such as product usage data or customer survey results. Trade reporters cover a single industry closely, and they value anything that teaches their audience something they did not already know.

Subject: New data: [number]% of [type of customer] now [behavior]

Hi [first name],

Your [month] article on [topic of their recent article] stayed with me, especially the point about [specific detail]. We have data that adds a new chapter to that story.

Across [number] [customers, orders, or accounts] on [product] since [date], [the most surprising finding, number first]. That is up from [earlier number] in [earlier period], and it is rising fastest among [specific group].

I am the [your role] at [company], which [one line on what the company does]. I can explain what is driving the change and what it means for [their readers]. I can also share the full numbers and a chart, and two customers are willing to talk on the record.

Would this be useful for an upcoming story?

Thank you, [your name], [title, company, and phone number]

Notice that it opens with the reporter’s recent article and places the statistic ahead of your company name. The offer at the end reassures a reporter on deadline that the story can come together quickly, and the final line is a question they can answer with one word. If you run a tech startup, resist the temptation to pitch the product itself. A feature launch is news to your customers, while a trend your data reveals is news to a reporter’s readers.

Media pitch sample 2: A local story for a community or business editor

Local papers and business journals cover nearby companies, and they prefer stories their readers can see or visit. This media pitch email example fits a milestone, an opening, an event, or a product with a local connection, and you should always offer photographs with it.

Subject: [Business name] in [neighborhood] [news] this [month]

Hi [first name],

I read your story on [recent local story] and thought this might suit your [section name] coverage.

On [date], [business name] will [what is happening], which is [why it matters to people who live there, such as a first for the area or a response to a local need]. [One vivid detail a reader could picture, such as what the product looks like or who started it.]

You are welcome to visit during [the event] to take photos or meet [founder or team]. If it is easier, I can send high-resolution images today. [Founder name] was raised in [city] and can speak to [the local angle].

Would you like me to send the photos?

Thank you, [your name], [phone number]

A local editor needs a specific reason the story belongs in this community, so that reason appears in the second paragraph. The easiest local story to place is a product readers can picture from a single sentence, which is one reason the Daily Pilot, part of the Los Angeles Times, covered The Dirty Cookie in 2019.

Media pitch sample 3: A timely pitch when your topic is in the news

When a new regulation or a major report appears in your industry, reporters need an expert who can interpret it, often on the same day. This sample offers your perspective on that development, so it works best when you already hold a clear opinion. If you are still developing one, my guide on how to become a thought leader explains how to define it.

Subject: What [news event] means for [the people the reporter writes for]

Hi [first name],

I saw that [news event] [happened or was announced] [today or this week]. As a [your role] with [your relevant experience, such as years in the field or the number of clients affected], I think most coverage so far has missed [the point you would add].

In short, [your view in one or two sentences, with one fact from your own work that supports it].

I am free for a call or a written comment [today or by a specific time]. I can also explain [one practical step their readers should take next].

Thank you, [your name], [phone number]

How to write a follow-up email

My press coverage guide covers follow-up timing, so here I will focus on the message itself. Reply in the same thread so the journalist can review your original pitch without searching their inbox. In that reply, add one new piece of information that strengthens the story, such as a new statistic or a customer willing to be interviewed.

Copy this follow-up email and replace each bracket with your own details:

Hi [first name],

I wanted to add one detail to the note below: [the new fact, such as a second data point, a customer who agreed to an interview, or a date that makes the story timely].

If this is not a fit for you, I would be grateful if you could tell me who covers [topic] at [publication].

Thank you, [your name]

Asking who else covers the topic gives a busy journalist an easy way to reply, even when the story is not relevant to their coverage. If you still hear nothing, retire that pitch, because a third email about the same idea can damage your professional relationship.

When a journalist accepts your pitch, reply promptly and deliver everything you promised the same day. Confirm the spelling of every name and professional title in writing, because a correction after publication is much more difficult than getting it right the first time. Once the article is published, send the reporter a two-line thank-you that mentions one passage you appreciated, since a journalist who has covered you before will recognize your name next time.

Mistakes that get a media pitch deleted

• Opening with your company history, which pushes the newsworthy detail below the lines a busy journalist actually reads.
• Sending an identical email to a long distribution list with only the recipient’s name changed.
• Writing “Dear Editor,” or misspelling the journalist’s name, which shows you did not write the email for that particular journalist.
• Saying “I would love to be featured,” which describes what you want and says nothing about the publication’s audience.
• Promising an exclusive to two publications at once, when the term means one outlet receives the story first.

How to adapt these samples for podcasts and speaking

These samples also work for a podcast host or an event organizer, once you replace the reader with a listener or an audience member. They apply to digital PR too, since an online editor asks the same questions as a print editor. A podcast host wants to know what their listeners will learn, and my post on how to get on podcasts explains how to answer that question. An event organizer wants a presentation that fits the event’s theme, which I explain in how to get speaking engagements.

Frequently asked questions

How do I write an effective media pitch for a tech startup?

Pitch the trend your product reveals or the problem it solves for a particular group of customers. A feature launch is news to your existing customers, while a trend is news to a publication’s readers. Lead with a statistic from your own user data, and make the founder and a customer available for interviews.

How long should a media pitch be?

A first media pitch should fit on a mobile screen without scrolling, and I keep mine under 150 words. Put the story and its relevance in the first two sentences, and keep each follow-up email to two to four sentences that add one new fact.

What is the difference between a media pitch and a press release?

A media pitch is a personal email to one journalist that suggests a story and explains why their readers would care. A press release is a formal, third-person announcement for any reporter who receives it, and it suits official news such as funding or a merger. A personalized pitch suits most small business stories, especially local or industry-specific ones.

How do I follow up on a media pitch without being annoying?

Send one follow-up email in the same thread and add one new piece of information, such as a new statistic or a customer willing to be interviewed. Ask who else at the publication covers the topic, which gives the journalist an easy way to respond. If there is still no answer, retire that pitch until you have a stronger, more relevant idea.

What are good subject lines for a media pitch email?

Good subject lines read like a headline and put the most specific fact first, such as a statistic or a news event. Vague phrases such as “Quick question” hide the story from a journalist scanning a crowded inbox. Save the word “exclusive” for stories you are offering to a single publication first.