📦 deps(thirdparty): update snapshots
This commit is contained in:
ci[bot]
@@ -0,0 +1,368 @@
|
||||
# Journalist Pitching — Proactive PR Workflow
|
||||
|
||||
Building a media list, scoring journalist fit, and crafting pitches that actually get opened. This is a 4–8 week practice, not a one-shot.
|
||||
|
||||
## Contents
|
||||
- Building the media list
|
||||
- Scoring journalist fit
|
||||
- Pitch templates by angle
|
||||
- Subject lines that get opened
|
||||
- Voice and structure
|
||||
- Embargoes, exclusives, and follow-up etiquette
|
||||
- Pitch killers
|
||||
- Tooling
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Building the Media List
|
||||
|
||||
The goal: a list of 20–40 journalists who actually cover your beat. Not 500 names from a database.
|
||||
|
||||
### Discovery checklist
|
||||
|
||||
For each candidate journalist:
|
||||
|
||||
- [ ] Read their **last 5 articles** — are they covering your beat right now?
|
||||
- [ ] Note their **publication** — does it reach your ICP?
|
||||
- [ ] Check their **bio** on the outlet site — what topics do they own?
|
||||
- [ ] Check **X/LinkedIn** for what they're posting about this week
|
||||
- [ ] Note their **email** (usually on outlet author page, Muck Rack, or company About page)
|
||||
- [ ] Check **Muck Rack** if available — it shows recent topics and pitch preferences
|
||||
|
||||
### Where to find candidates
|
||||
|
||||
| Method | How |
|
||||
|--------|-----|
|
||||
| **Reverse lookup from coverage you want** | Find 5 articles about competitors / your category, note bylines |
|
||||
| **Topic search on Muck Rack** | Free tier shows journalists by topic |
|
||||
| **X / Twitter lists** | "[your niche] reporters" lists already exist |
|
||||
| **LinkedIn search** | "Journalist" + "[your category]" — filter by recent activity |
|
||||
| **Newsletter author pages** | Beehiiv, Substack, ConvertKit creators are pitchable |
|
||||
| **Podcast host research** | Listen to 1 episode before pitching — non-negotiable |
|
||||
|
||||
### Don't waste time on
|
||||
|
||||
- **Mass media databases** (Cision, Meltwater) for early-stage — overkill and expensive
|
||||
- **Journalists who haven't posted in 6+ months** — they may have left
|
||||
- **"Editor-in-chief" generic addresses** — pitches there get ignored or routed to interns
|
||||
- **Journalists who explicitly state "no PR pitches" in bio** — respect it
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Scoring Journalist Fit
|
||||
|
||||
Score each journalist 1–10 across four dimensions. Sum and rank. Focus on top 20.
|
||||
|
||||
| Dimension | What it measures | Weight |
|
||||
|-----------|------------------|--------|
|
||||
| **Beat match** | Do they cover your category specifically? | 3x |
|
||||
| **Reach** | Outlet's audience size + their byline traction | 2x |
|
||||
| **Engagement** | Do they respond to pitches publicly / on X? | 2x |
|
||||
| **Recency** | Have they written about a related topic in last 30d? | 1x |
|
||||
|
||||
**Tiering:**
|
||||
- **Tier 1 (8–10):** Personal pitch with original angle. Custom each time.
|
||||
- **Tier 2 (5–7):** Standard pitch, lightly customized.
|
||||
- **Tier 3 (below 5):** Skip or pitch only when story is exceptional.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Pitch Templates by Angle
|
||||
|
||||
Six structures that work. Pick the one that matches your story.
|
||||
|
||||
### 1. Data story
|
||||
|
||||
```
|
||||
Subject: [Specific stat] — [implication]
|
||||
|
||||
Hi [name],
|
||||
|
||||
I noticed you covered [recent article] — wanted to share data that might
|
||||
be relevant.
|
||||
|
||||
We [analyzed N / surveyed N / tracked N] and found:
|
||||
• [Stat 1 with surprise factor]
|
||||
• [Stat 2]
|
||||
• [Stat 3]
|
||||
|
||||
The most interesting pattern: [one-sentence insight].
|
||||
|
||||
Full data + methodology here: [link to one-pager, not your homepage]
|
||||
|
||||
Happy to share the raw dataset, jump on a call, or connect you with
|
||||
[customer who's relevant].
|
||||
|
||||
[your name + 1-line credential]
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### 2. Exclusive launch / milestone
|
||||
|
||||
```
|
||||
Subject: Exclusive: [specific milestone] at [company]
|
||||
|
||||
Hi [name],
|
||||
|
||||
I have an exclusive on [milestone] that I think fits your [beat] coverage.
|
||||
|
||||
The story: [one sentence]
|
||||
Why it matters: [one sentence — for their readers, not for you]
|
||||
What's new: [the actual news, not the marketing line]
|
||||
|
||||
Embargo until [day, time, timezone] — would love to give you first
|
||||
window. Press kit + assets: [link]
|
||||
|
||||
Free to talk [two specific time options].
|
||||
|
||||
[your name]
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### 3. Op-ed / contributed piece
|
||||
|
||||
```
|
||||
Subject: Op-ed pitch: [provocative thesis]
|
||||
|
||||
Hi [name],
|
||||
|
||||
I read your piece on [recent article] — sharp take on [specific point].
|
||||
|
||||
I'd like to pitch a 700-word op-ed: "[Thesis as a headline]"
|
||||
|
||||
Core argument:
|
||||
• [Point 1]
|
||||
• [Point 2]
|
||||
• [Point 3 — the surprising one]
|
||||
|
||||
Why me: [1 sentence — credential or unique vantage]
|
||||
Why now: [1 sentence — the news hook]
|
||||
|
||||
Can have a draft to you by [date]. Happy to adapt to your house style.
|
||||
|
||||
[your name]
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### 4. Customer story
|
||||
|
||||
```
|
||||
Subject: Customer story for [their beat] — [specific outcome]
|
||||
|
||||
Hi [name],
|
||||
|
||||
For your [beat] coverage, I have a [customer type] willing to talk on
|
||||
the record about [specific outcome].
|
||||
|
||||
The hook: [customer] [did something specific] and [measurable result].
|
||||
|
||||
The interesting part: [the surprising or counterintuitive detail].
|
||||
|
||||
Customer details:
|
||||
• Name: [name, title, company]
|
||||
• Available: [windows]
|
||||
• Willing to share: [data points / screenshots / metrics]
|
||||
|
||||
Happy to coordinate the intro.
|
||||
|
||||
[your name]
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### 5. Trend piece / connector
|
||||
|
||||
```
|
||||
Subject: Trend forming in [space] — three signals
|
||||
|
||||
Hi [name],
|
||||
|
||||
Three things in [space] this month that I think connect:
|
||||
|
||||
1. [Signal 1 with link]
|
||||
2. [Signal 2 with link]
|
||||
3. [Signal 3 — yours, briefly]
|
||||
|
||||
The pattern: [one sentence].
|
||||
|
||||
This might be early for a piece, but if you're tracking the space I
|
||||
wanted to flag it. Happy to share data we've collected or connect you
|
||||
with others seeing the same.
|
||||
|
||||
[your name]
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### 6. Newsjack response
|
||||
|
||||
```
|
||||
Subject: Re: [their article headline] — quick data point
|
||||
|
||||
Hi [name],
|
||||
|
||||
Saw your piece on [story] this morning — wanted to add a relevant
|
||||
data point in case you do a follow-up.
|
||||
|
||||
[One-sentence stat or insight].
|
||||
|
||||
Source: [our data / our customers / our analysis]
|
||||
Methodology: [one sentence]
|
||||
|
||||
Quotable: "[a sentence you'd be comfortable seeing in print]"
|
||||
|
||||
If useful for a follow-up, I'm around all day at this number: [phone].
|
||||
|
||||
[your name]
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Subject Lines That Get Opened
|
||||
|
||||
Journalists open pitches based on the subject line alone. Rules:
|
||||
|
||||
- **Under 50 characters** — mobile preview cuts off
|
||||
- **Lead with the specific** — "73% of devs deploy to prod on Fridays" beats "New data on developer workflows"
|
||||
- **Promise a story, not a product** — "Why [trend]" beats "[Company] launches [thing]"
|
||||
- **Use prefixes that signal value** — "Exclusive:", "Data:", "Op-ed pitch:", "Re: [their article]"
|
||||
|
||||
**Test against this question:** would *you* open this in a 200-email inbox?
|
||||
|
||||
**Patterns that work:**
|
||||
- "[Specific stat] — [implication]" — "73% of agents fail this test"
|
||||
- "Exclusive: [milestone]" — "Exclusive: Anthropic launches AgentOS"
|
||||
- "Re: [their headline]" — direct response to recent coverage
|
||||
- "[Provocative thesis]" — "Why VC funding is bad for AI safety"
|
||||
|
||||
**Patterns that get deleted:**
|
||||
- "Press release: [boring]"
|
||||
- "[Company] announces [thing]"
|
||||
- "Story idea for you!"
|
||||
- "Following up on my previous email"
|
||||
- Any subject line with "innovative," "disruptive," "revolutionary"
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Voice and Structure
|
||||
|
||||
### Length
|
||||
|
||||
**150 words max for the pitch.** If you can't say it in 150 words, you don't know what your story is yet.
|
||||
|
||||
### Structure
|
||||
|
||||
1. **One-line context** — why you're emailing them specifically (their recent article, their beat)
|
||||
2. **The story** — what it is, in one sentence
|
||||
3. **Why it matters to their readers** — not why it matters to you
|
||||
4. **Proof** — data, customer, quote, link
|
||||
5. **The ask** — interview, embargo, quote, link
|
||||
|
||||
### Voice
|
||||
|
||||
- Sound like a person, not a press release
|
||||
- Reference their actual recent work — proves you read them
|
||||
- Don't use emoji unless they do
|
||||
- Don't open with "I hope this finds you well" — burn it
|
||||
- Don't ask "did you get my email?" follow-ups (see [Follow-up](#embargoes-exclusives-and-follow-up-etiquette))
|
||||
|
||||
### Banned vocabulary
|
||||
|
||||
Revolutionary, disruptive, game-changing, paradigm shift, leverage, synergy, robust, seamless, holistic, world-class, best-in-class, next-generation, cutting-edge, AI-powered (unless that's the actual differentiation), at-the-end-of-the-day.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Embargoes, Exclusives, and Follow-Up Etiquette
|
||||
|
||||
### Embargoes
|
||||
|
||||
An embargo is "you can write this story, but don't publish until [time]."
|
||||
|
||||
- **Only offer embargoes to journalists you've worked with** or have strong reputations for honoring them
|
||||
- State the embargo time clearly: day, time, timezone
|
||||
- If they break embargo, your relationship with them is over
|
||||
|
||||
### Exclusives
|
||||
|
||||
"Only you get this story" — powerful tool, use sparingly.
|
||||
|
||||
- **First-tier outlet only** — exclusives to tier 2/3 outlets waste the lever
|
||||
- **Be honest about scope** — "exclusive to [outlet] in the US" is fine
|
||||
- **Have a parallel plan** — what you publish/pitch the next day after the exclusive runs
|
||||
|
||||
### Follow-up cadence
|
||||
|
||||
- **Day 0** — initial pitch
|
||||
- **Day 3** — one follow-up if you have new information ("Just talked to [customer] who can join us")
|
||||
- **Day 7** — final check-in with a fresh hook ("This came out today, still relevant?")
|
||||
- **After day 7** — let it go. Re-pitch when you have something genuinely new.
|
||||
|
||||
**Never:**
|
||||
- "Bumping this up" / "Did you see my email?"
|
||||
- Multi-day silent follow-ups with no new value
|
||||
- Same pitch reformatted
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Pitch Killers
|
||||
|
||||
Things that instantly disqualify your pitch:
|
||||
|
||||
- Wrong name / wrong outlet (autoreplace fail)
|
||||
- Pitching topics they explicitly don't cover
|
||||
- Press release attached as PDF (just paste the key bits)
|
||||
- Long signature with logos and disclaimers
|
||||
- CC'ing 5 other journalists on the same email
|
||||
- "Per my last email" energy
|
||||
- Asking them to sign an NDA before talking
|
||||
- Pitching a story you can't actually tell (no customer willing to talk, no data ready to share)
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Tooling
|
||||
|
||||
### Finding journalist contact info
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
# Most journalists' emails follow patterns:
|
||||
# firstname@outlet.com
|
||||
# firstname.lastname@outlet.com
|
||||
# flastname@outlet.com
|
||||
# Use Hunter.io, RocketReach, or just guess and bounce-check
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Researching their recent work (browser-driven)
|
||||
|
||||
Use `dev-browser` (persistent session, no rate limits) to:
|
||||
- Open the journalist's outlet author page → scrape last 5 article headlines + dates
|
||||
- Open their X/Twitter profile → note recent topics
|
||||
- Open their LinkedIn → confirm current role
|
||||
|
||||
Output what you find as:
|
||||
|
||||
```
|
||||
JOURNALIST PROFILE — [name]
|
||||
Outlet: [name]
|
||||
Beat: [topics from last 5 articles]
|
||||
Recent angle: [pattern you noticed]
|
||||
Recent X activity: [what they're posting]
|
||||
Score: [X/40 from rubric]
|
||||
Best pitch angle: [from template library]
|
||||
Email: [confirmed]
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Maintaining the media list
|
||||
|
||||
Store in `.agents/media-list.md` (or `.csv` if you prefer). Update monthly — journalists move jobs constantly.
|
||||
|
||||
```markdown
|
||||
## Tier 1 (top 20)
|
||||
| Name | Outlet | Beat | Last contact | Last coverage | Email | Score |
|
||||
|------|--------|------|--------------|---------------|-------|-------|
|
||||
| ... | ... | ... | 2026-05-15 | none yet | ... | 9/10 |
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Pitch tracking
|
||||
|
||||
Track in a simple spreadsheet:
|
||||
- Date sent
|
||||
- Subject line
|
||||
- Journalist
|
||||
- Outlet
|
||||
- Response (open / reply / pass / coverage)
|
||||
- What they said
|
||||
|
||||
After 30 pitches, you'll see which subject patterns and which angles work for you specifically.
|
||||
Reference in New Issue
Block a user