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How to hone your media relations skills and get your story seen
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Getting your news out can be challenging, whether you’re connecting with a journalist, trying to get an editor’s attention or hoping to leverage the reach of an influencer. You’re competing against hundreds of other businesses with PR pros on staff, and they are filling the inboxes of the people you’re trying to reach.
According to the 2025 State of the Media Report, half of journalists receive over 50 pitches per week, but their full inboxes aren’t the only hurdle to getting attention for your pitch. Between 2008 and 2021, newsroom employment dropped 26%. So, not only are there fewer people to pitch to, the people you’re trying to connect with are also swimming in pitches and are greatly outnumbered by PR pros.
If you’ve been hitting a wall with your messaging, don’t give up. Getting the right people to listen takes time and effort.
The days of simply crafting a pitch and blasting it out are gone. You need to zero in on the top influencers and reporters who have valuable audiences you want to reach. Make connections, add value to the relationship and maintain your connections. If you demonstrate a sincere desire to collaborate, they’ll be more likely to pick your familiar voice out from the crowd.
Read on to learn 10 ways you can hone your media relations skills in this new era.
1. Do Your Homework
First, get organized. Use a media database to create a list of journalists and influencers to target. Media databases make it quick and easy to identify and engage with media related to your brand.
Use your media database to identify relevant journalists and influencers, dive into their profiles to learn their contact preferences and personal pet peeves, study their work, and keep track of who you’re targeting. Research outlets’ pitching policies, too—you don’t want to end up on a blocked list from the start.
Also, check out available editorial calendars. Mark down the dates of upcoming deadlines to prepare for future pitching opportunities, take advantage of lead times and stay on top of niche topics. Don’t forget to make sure your spokesperson and brand’s bios are up to date to make them interesting to a reporter.
2. Use Social Media Strategically
Follow media outlets, journalists and influencers on social media to stay current on the topics and stories they’re creating content around. You can also subscribe to different news feeds using tools like Feedly. Staying on top of the news that journalists and influencers are creating can inform your content and pitching strategies.
It doesn’t stop with a follow: You need to engage with your target media on social to build rapport. This includes leaving insightful comments on their work, engaging in social conversations and “liking” their posts. The key is to be genuine and add value, as reporters will smell pandering a mile away.
As one journalist told us in the State of the Media Report, “The best PR folks are the ones who add context and value outside of their immediate pitching needs, and who actually want to build a working relationship, not a transactional one.”
If you have a relationship with an influencer or journalist, go ahead and connect with them on LinkedIn (but only 25% of survey respondents say that a LinkedIn connection is their preferred way of building relationships—so use this method cautiously and don't send a cold invite if you've never communicated with them before). When requesting a connection, replace the platform’s automated messaging with a few sentences about how you know each other. Once you're connected, share links to the reporter’s stories with your audience.
Pro Tip: Share your own thoughts, while attributing links, to stand out from others talking about the same story.
3. Increase Brand Awareness
Build word-of-mouth publicity on social media. Motivate your audience to talk about your brand by creating memorable experiences, such as providing outstanding customer service or announcing the launch of a new product in a unique way. The buzz will attract journalists.
Are you announcing exciting news via a press release? Make it easy for your audience to share the news and spread the word with pre-drafted social media posts that allow you to boost social sharing while maintaining control of the message.
Of course, you should also promote your brand’s coverage on your own channels—it could snowball into more publicity. Be sure to share facts, statistics or quotes from your story, as intriguing blurbs may appeal to a reporter looking for an angle on a similar story. And use relevant hashtags to get on the radar of those following trends.
4. Be a Thought Leader
Look to pop culture, current events and industry news for content ideas. Consider turning a current event or hot trend into a report, article or blog post to attract attention. Blog often and consistently create unique, timely and informative content to position your brand as a go-to source. Look for guest blogging opportunities, too.
Create white papers to showcase your industry knowledge and to position yourself as an expert—one that reporters may want to consult for a story.
Keep in mind that visuals, such as charts, infographics or videos, boost visibility and lend themselves to sharing. In this year’s State of the Media Report, 36% of journalists told us that multimedia needs to be included in a pitch for them to even consider covering it.
Bottom line: Get creative with your content. If you can get a lot of shares and discussion around a piece of content, reporters will follow.
5. Make a Real-World Connection
When asked about the best ways for PR pros to build relationships with the media, one State of the Media respondent said, “In-person connection is always best. An invite to an event is even better.”
Reporters and influencers will be more likely to remember your brand if they engage with you in person than if you only reach out to them online. Personalize your invitation by highlighting topics or speakers they would find interesting.
Another tactic is to speak at an event where many reporters will be present. It’s a great way to instantly illustrate your thought leadership, credibility and reputation within your industry. Your company’s opinion could be just the angle reporters need to complete an article.
Have a more narrow, local news story? You can sponsor a local event that appeals to your surrounding community. Local events like town halls, city hall or school board meetings are another great way to meet those you want to cover your story.
If you want to make an even bigger splash, hold a conference. Focus on emerging trends, thought leadership and special unveilings to attract reporters who want to break stories and stay on the cutting edge. Make sure to send a media advisory (or two) in the weeks before an event to make it clear to reporters why they should attend and give them an idea of what they could write about. Announce and promote conference panelists to build interest and attract attention.
6. Give Back to the Community
It's always good to give back, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives are also a great way to generate earned media coverage. When your company actively participates in community betterment, it creates naturally shareable, compelling stories that resonate with local media and beyond.
However, for CSR efforts to translate into earned media, authenticity is key. Ensure your actions are genuine, sustainable and align with your company's core values and mission. Media outlets are increasingly savvy about "greenwashing" or insincere attempts at CSR, so transparency and a real commitment will always yield better results.
CSR initiatives could include partnerships with charities, employee volunteer days, sponsoring local events or initiating educational programs. They can be powerful stories that media outlets are eager to pick up and amplify. Plus, these types of initiatives can also build a positive brand image, foster goodwill and demonstrate your company's commitment to more than just profit.
7. Pitch the Preferred Way
These days, most people pitch reporters via email—which is actually the preferred method for 96% of journalists.
But what goes into an effective pitch? According to Cision’s annual survey, the top elements journalists want as part of an ideal pitch that they’ll consider covering are:
- Compelling data or statistics (54%)
- A unique story angle or point of view (49%)
- Contact information (43%)
When it comes to pitch length, a third of journalists say it depends on the complexity of the story, but the sweet spot seems to be between 100 and 300 words.
Experiment with how you word your pitches, the topics you suggest, when you send them and more to see what works best.
8. Know Their Contact Preferences
While you may have a newsworthy story to pitch a journalist, where you pitch them can make all the difference.
When asked about the best way for PR pros to introduce themselves and build a connection, 85% of journalists said, “Send me an email telling me why you want to connect.” But aside from the email introduction, what are the other ways to connect?
Thirty-three percent of journalists told us they’re looking for invites to industry events. If you can meet with a journalist in person, either at an event or in a 1-on-1 meeting, make sure to discuss topics they’re currently covering, how they develop their stories, etc. Use this opportunity to have a genuine conversation and listen.
What about pitching via phone? It can work, but only if you know the reporter likes taking calls (only 7% of journalists say they prefer getting pitches this way). It helps if they know you well first.
Remember that while a single pitch or meeting may not generate instant coverage, it can be a conversation starter that leads to something bigger down the line. Work on connecting and nurturing that relationship over time.
9. Follow-Up Thoughtfully
Follow up on your pitches, but don’t just ask if the reporter received your email. Explain why your story is valuable and reiterate the most compelling information. Don’t hound the reporter, either. One follow-up is plenty (and the max, according to 62% of journalists).
Remember to alert a reporter to breaking news. Provide your take on the story and offer to be a source or provide access to an expert or spokesperson for questions.
10. Tell a Good Story
None of this will work if you don’t have a compelling story to share. According to this year’s State of the Media survey, sending an irrelevant story is the #1 way to end up on a journalist’s blocked list (86% of journalists say so).
So, after doing your research and finding the right journalist or influencer to connect with, show them why your story deserves their time. As one journalist told us, “Unique story angles are key. I'm not interested in ‘content.’ If the story isn't interesting to the PR professional, it won't be interesting to my readers, either.”
But how do you know if you have a newsworthy story to tell? There are many reasons to share your brand’s news with the world, ranging from new product launches to upcoming events, awards, philanthropy and new industry data. Download our guide to newsworthy press releases to learn more.
Getting more coverage isn’t easy, but it’s not insurmountable. Follow these tips and you’ll have greater success getting media coverage for your brand.
