How To Write A Media Pitch (Step‑By‑Step Guide)

What Is A Media Pitch?

A media pitch is a short, tailored email sent to a journalist, editor, or producer (at a newspaper, TV station, podcast, magazine, or blog) to convince them to cover your story for their audience. Instead of being a full press release, it's a tight snapshot of your angle, why it matters now, and why you're the right source.

A strong pitch:

• Focuses on the story, not just your company.
• Matches the journalist's beat and audience.
• Makes it easy to say "yes" with clear facts and next steps.

If you're new to PR, it helps to understand how a full release works too—see your existing guide to how to write a press release for the longer format.

What You Need Before You Pitch

Before you write a single word, get these pieces in place:

A genuinely newsworthy angle

Your story should be timely (tied to a launch, report, trend, or event), relevant to the outlet's audience, and clearly answer "Why now?"

A targeted media list

Build a list of journalists who actually cover your topic (their beat), not just "anyone at this outlet." Avoid mass BCC blasts; send individual, tailored pitches.

A professional press release or one‑pager

For bigger announcements (product launches, funding, events), having a clear press release helps journalists quickly get all the details. Your existing release template with headline, intro (who, what, where, why, how), body, and company info works perfectly here.

Proof and assets

Data, case studies, quotes, visuals, and links that make your story easy to build into a piece.

A clear objective

Decide whether you want: a feature story, expert quote, inclusion in a roundup, or coverage of a specific announcement. Your goal shapes your angle and CTA.

The Ideal Media Pitch Structure

Think of a pitch as a lean, email‑sized press release.

A simple structure that works:

• Subject line – your mini pitch/headline.
• Greeting and personalization – show you know who they are.
• Opening line – your hook and "why this matters now."
• Body – 3–6 short lines or bullets with key facts and proof.
• Call to action – one clear, low‑friction next step.
• Signature – full contact details and quick credentials.

Aim for 75–150 words for most pitches. For bigger, more complex stories, you might go up to ~200 words, but shorter usually wins.

The Subject Line: Your First Pitch

Your subject line is the first—and sometimes only—chance to earn a click. Think of it as your pitch in 8–10 words.

Good subject lines:

• Emphasize utility ("how this helps your readers") or curiosity (a specific, intriguing gap).
• Sound like a headline the outlet could actually run.
• Avoid pure clickbait; there must be real substance behind the promise.

We break down 10 proven subject line formulas in detail in the section "Best Media Pitch Subject Lines (10 Proven Formulas)" below so you can plug in your own topic and go.

Make It Personal (Without Being Creepy)

Journalists delete generic pitches in seconds. Personalization is no longer "nice to have"—it's basic hygiene.

Do:

• Reference a specific article, series, or column they wrote and connect your angle to it.
• Show you know their beat and audience ("For your readers who run small agencies…").
• Be honest about why you chose them and why this is a fit.

Avoid:

• "Dear Sir/Madam," "Dear Editor," or "Hi there."
• Copy‑paste intros that could work for any outlet.

Even one genuine sentence of context can dramatically improve your response rate.

Your Opening Sentence: Get To The Point

Your opening line should deliver the hook—not small talk.

Stronger examples:

• "I'm pitching new data showing hybrid workers are paying more for office space at coworking locations than commuting to HQ—contrary to what many companies expect."
• "I saw your recent piece on remote burnout and wanted to share early numbers on how flexible office memberships are changing where people actually work in NYC."

Each of these:

• Answers "why now?" and "why this audience?" in one breath.
• Surfaces the most surprising or emotionally resonant element first.

Skip long warm‑ups like "Hope you're well" and multi‑sentence company intros—those belong later, if at all.

The Body: Turn Info Into A Story

Once you've hooked them, your job is to prove there's a real story here.

Use short bullets or tight lines to cover:

• What's new or different (vs. what's already been covered).
• One key stat, comparison, or example that makes the story concrete.
• Who is involved (company, customers, community, experts).
• What you can offer: data, exclusive angle, interview, visuals, or case study.

You can lean on the same 5W/1H structure you use in your press releases: who, what, where, when, why, and how—just compressed for email.

Attachments, Links & Assets: Keep It Light

Most journalists prefer links instead of heavy attachments, especially from senders they don't know yet.

Best practices:

• Put the essentials (angle + key facts) directly in the email body, so they can assess quickly.
• Link to a press release, media kit, Google Drive/Dropbox folder with images, or a landing page.
• If you must attach files, keep them small, clearly labeled, and limited (e.g., 1–2 images under 1 MB).
• Never hide crucial information in an attachment only—assume many won't open it.

This aligns with your press release guidance that many journalists avoid attachments altogether.

Create An Actionable Next Step

End your pitch with a single, clear next step so the journalist doesn't have to think about what to ask for.

For example:

• "If this is useful for any upcoming coverage on flexible work, I can share the full dataset and set up a 15‑minute call with our founder this week."
• "Happy to provide exclusive commentary or local examples if you're working on anything around [specific topic] this month."

Avoid vague endings like "Let me know what you think" without specifying what you can do for them.

Check Your Grammar And Tone

Typos, sloppy formatting, and overly promotional language are fast ways to lose credibility.

Quick quality checklist:

• Run your pitch through a grammar checker (e.g., Grammarly) to catch basic mistakes. Read it out loud: if it sounds like an ad, rewrite it to sound like a news tip.
• Keep it between 75–150 words, clear and skim‑friendly.
• Make sure your subject line and body match—no bait and switch.

This is similar to the checklist you use for press releases: natural tone, concise but detailed, professional look, and solid copy.

Success Is In The Follow‑Up

Most pitches won't get an immediate response—even great ones. Follow‑up is where a lot of wins happen.

Follow‑up rules:

• Wait 3–5 business days before your first follow‑up.
• Limit yourself to one, maybe two, total follow‑ups unless you have truly new information.
• Keep it very short (2–3 lines max), polite, and add one new detail or asset if possible.

Example:

If they don't respond after that, move on and nurture the relationship later with something more targeted.

Best Media Pitch Subject Lines (10 Proven Formulas)

Subject lines are where art meets science. There's no one perfect formula, but research on email open rates and journalist behavior points to patterns that consistently work: utility, curiosity, brevity, and relevance.

Below are 10 practical formulas—adapt them to your story, outlet, and tone.

1. The Obvious: Your Subject Line Is Your Pitch

Daniel Pink notes that subject lines that appeal to utility (what's in it for me?) or curiosity (I need to know more) perform best.

Formula:

• Utility: "New data shows [surprising result] for [audience]."
• Curiosity: "The real reason [common belief] is wrong in 2026."

Example:

• "New survey: 61% of hybrid workers pay to escape HQ."
• "Why NYC startups are ditching traditional offices in 2026."

Use when you have a clear insight or result that's valuable on its own.

2. The Old Faithful: Boring Is The New Exciting

A Mailchimp study of millions of emails found that simple, straightforward subject lines often outperform "clever" ones.

Formula:

• "[Company] announces [clear news]."
• "[Location] [industry] reports [key milestone]."

Example:

• "NYC startup raises $10M Series A."
• "Company X acquired by Company Y."

Use when you have a clean, unambiguous announcement—especially for business and finance reporters.

3. The Oh No You Didn't: Mild Profanity (Use Sparingly)

Experiments show that mild profanity in subject lines can increase opens by standing out in crowded inboxes. That said, use this with extreme caution and only if it fits your brand and the journalist's tone.

Better:

• "This coworking trend is a hell of a wake‑up call for landlords."

Avoid heavy profanity, especially on first contact or with very traditional outlets.

4. The Personal Approach: Names And Locations

Including a name or location can make a subject line feel directly relevant.

Formula:

• "[First name], local data on [topic] in [city]."
• "[City/region] startup tackles [specific problem]."

Example:

• "Bay Area startup announces latest funding round."
• "NYC coworking platform reveals new hybrid work stats."

Use when geography is part of your story or the journalist clearly covers a specific region.

5. The Reptilian Method: Tap The "Lizard Brain"

Curiosity, surprise, and implied tension trigger quick, instinctive reactions—what some marketers call the "lizard brain."

Formula:

• "You won't believe what [group] is spending on [topic] now."
• "[Number] mistakes companies make about [topic] (data inside)."

Example (toned down for journalists):

• "NYC workers now pay more to commute to coworking than HQ."

You don't need full clickbait ("you won't believe…"), but a hint of unresolved tension works very well.

6. The Clinical Approach: Reverse Psychology

Subject lines that tell people not to open can paradoxically drive more opens—if used sparingly and backed by real value.

Example:

• "Don't open this unless you're covering hybrid work in 2026."

Use this only with warm contacts or outlets that are comfortable with playful copy, and make sure the content is worth the tease.

7. The Obvious (But Overlooked): Brevity Is Key

Most inboxes only show about 60 characters of your subject line (less on mobile), and 6–8 words is a good rule of thumb.

Better:

• "NYC startup slashes office costs by 40%."
• "Exclusive: new data on hybrid work trends."

Short, concrete, and scannable beats long, clever, and vague.

8. The ACT NOW Approach: Urgency, Embargoes & Exclusives

Words like "EXCLUSIVE" and "EMBARGOED" signal time‑sensitive or special access content, which can boost opens if used honestly.

Examples:

• "EXCLUSIVE: First look at 2026 hybrid work report."
• "EMBARGOED until 2/15: New data on NYC office usage."

Only use embargoes and exclusives when you truly intend to honor them and have something meaningful to offer.

9. The Doc Brown: Travel Back In Time

If you've worked with a journalist before, replying to an older thread can increase open rates because it appears as a continuing conversation.

Tactics:

• Find your last positive exchange, hit "Reply," and update the subject line slightly if needed.
• Acknowledge the time gap early ("It's been a while since we worked together on…").

Use ethically—don't fake replies or hide that this is a new story.

10. The Salutation: Simple "Hey"‑Style Openers

Campaign tests (including Barack Obama's email campaigns) found that simple, informal subject lines like "Hey" performed surprisingly well.

Examples:

• "Hey – got a sec for a local hybrid work story?"
• "Quick question on your recent piece."

This works best when:

• Your brand voice is informal.
• The journalist is used to conversational pitches.
• The email body quickly delivers value after that casual opener.

A Simple Media Pitch Template (You Can Customize)

Use this as a base and adjust per outlet: