Over the last three decades the media landscape in the UK has gone through a massive shift. The birth of the internet and changes in the way we consume news and the media has seen traditional print media and television be taken over by online rivals, social media, and streaming services.
The early 2000s saw a decline in newspaper circulation as major outlets made the move to operate online alongside their print offering. This decline is most evident when you look at the numbers. In 1997 the circulation figures for The Times, which has been in circulation since the late 1700s, stood at 821,000. In March 2020, those figures had dropped to just over 365,000. Look at the figures for popular tabloid, The Sun, and the decline becomes even more evident, In 1997, its circulation figures stood at 3.8 million. In 2020 they’d dropped to 1.2 million.
Meanwhile, the rise in online consumption of news and media has grown exponentially. Figures from December 2024 show the Mail Online has an online audience of 21 million, The Times and Sunday Times 10.5 million, and the BBC a massive 38 million.
As media consumption has evolved, so has the media itself – including the number of journalists delivering the news and the way PR agencies interact with and support news teams. With 24/7 rolling news, the demand for compelling stories is higher than ever, and expert spokespeople play a key role in adding insight and keeping existing stories fresh and up to date for time-pressed consumers. That’s where skilled PR practitioners with strong stories come in, helping brands build their profile, raise awareness, and secure coverage and links. They also provide journalists with quality content to consider for their publications or online platforms.
But how do you find and contact the right journalists to maximise your chances of securing quality coverage? In this blog, we’ll explore how PR professionals can collaborate with the media – identifying and reaching the right journalists, crafting content tailored to their target publications, pitching effectively, and responding to journalist queries.
What’s in this article:
- How do I find the right journalists?
- Identifying relevant contacts
- Nurturing contacts
- Creating relevant content
- The difference between ad and editorial copy
- Writing for the audience
- Pitching to journalists
- Methods of contacting journalists
- Dos and don’ts
- Responding to journalists
- Key takeaways
How do I find the right journalists?
It’s simple – if you’re reaching the wrong contacts, your story won’t get published. Targeting the right journalists with your content and news releases is essential to maximising your chances of success.
Identifying relevant contacts
The first place to start is by creating a list in the media database you subscribe to. There are many available to PR professionals including Vuelio, Roxhill Media and Cision. These digital directories provide contact information for journalists, influencers, editors, and other media professionals. They allow PR professionals to search for relevant contacts based on location, topics, and media type – whether broadcast, print, or online, among others.
However, it’s always important to check the profile of those journalists to ensure they are accurate, in particular the topics they cover. For example, there really is no point sending a politics writer your gardening story on how to keep cut flowers healthy. Likewise, a lifestyle writer won’t appreciate a pitch on nuclear fusion!
These databases make it easy to learn more about journalists – use this to ensure you’re reaching the right people. It’s also worth checking online to see what stories they’re covering, as this can help you discover new contacts and take a more targeted approach. While databases are a great starting point, they’re not always up to date, so conducting your own research is essential.
Some journalists can be much harder to track down, particularly for niche titles, and many of those may be freelancers. Desk research is key here. There are also some good apps you can take advantage of to help you find those elusive journalists. Libby is a free app which allows users to borrow ebooks, audio books and magazines from their local library. You can use this to find the names of journalists writing for relevant magazines and newspapers. You can also make use of social media to track down new contacts.
Find out more about building a media list here.
Nurturing contacts
Once you’ve identified a strong contact who you’re confident will appreciate your story, focus on nurturing the relationship. Only send them relevant content and news angles that build on their coverage – bombarding them with irrelevant information will quickly damage the connection.
Depending on who they write for, there may be further opportunities to strengthen the relationship. Trade and B2B journalists, for example, are more likely to attend industry events and trade shows. If your client is present, this can be a great chance to arrange a meeting, introduce them to key figures, and present a compelling story in person.
Creating relevant content
To give your story the best chance of placing with the journalists you’ve added to your carefully curated media list, you need to make sure the content you send is relevant and written as editorial.
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The difference between advertorial and editorial copy
PR professionals sometimes make the mistake of sending journalists copy that reads like an advert. However, editorial and advertising content serve very different purposes in media and marketing.
Editorial copy is informative – it aims to educate, provide insight, and engage readers while maintaining credibility by avoiding direct promotion. On the other hand, advertising copy is designed to persuade by heavily promoting a brand or product with a clear commercial goal.
So you must ensure your press release, feature, or editorial copy is balanced, informative, and engaging – without sounding too salesy or like an advertisement. Journalists will spot this instantly, and it could even lead to them suggesting you pay for ad space in their publication instead!
If you need more help on how to write for PR, check out this blog. You can also learn more about the differences between PR and advertising here.
Writing for your audience
When you are drafting a press release or a comment, always have in mind the audience you’re writing for and the style of the publications you will be pitching it to. The style a seasoned writer will select for a lifestyle publication, for example, House Beautiful will be very different to that for an interior trade title like Mix Interiors.
Pitching a consumer style release to a trade title will never work so always have a clear picture of the audience and publications you’re targeting with the outreach.
Pitching to journalists
Methods of contacting journalists
When it comes to reaching out to journalists, email is still the preferred method of communication for most. It’s quick, efficient, and allows journalists to review the pitch at their convenience. Email also offers a more professional and formal channel, making it the go-to choice for PR professionals.
However, it’s important to note that some journalists are open to direct messaging on social media platforms, especially on X (Twitter) or LinkedIn. In fact, many include their preferred contact methods in their media database profiles or even on their personal social media accounts, so it’s worth checking these details before reaching out.
With the rise of remote and hybrid working, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to get through to journalists by phone. Many journalists now work from home or a flexible office space, which makes it harder to reach them directly. As a result, phone calls are generally not welcomed unless you’ve established a relationship with the journalist. We find that most journalists prefer not to receive phone calls, as it disrupts their workflow and can be intrusive, especially when they’re under tight deadlines.
New platforms and technologies are continually emerging in the PR industry, providing even more ways to connect with journalists. Tools like Synapse, the stories marketplace, are reshaping how PR professionals engage with the media. These platforms allow you to contact journalists directly through internal messaging services. You can connect with journalists who are actively looking for story ideas or sources, often bypassing the need for traditional email or social media outreach.
To improve your chances of connecting with journalists, always check their preferred method of contact and respect it. This ensures that your pitch lands in the right hands at the right time and maximises your chances of getting a response.
Dos and don’ts of pitching to journalists
Journalists' inboxes are full of pitches from PR practitioners so you have to make yours stand out from the crowd. There are some simple rules to follow to maximise the chance of your email being the one opened, read and used.
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DO your research
Make sure you’re pitching your story to the right journalist. This is where the research you’ve already done and the curated list building really comes into play. If you’re not sure on any of them, this is your chance to double check.
DO personalise your pitch
Rather than sending pitches en masse, personalise your pitch to the journalist and publication you’re contacting.
DO get to the point
Journalists are busy so pre≥µpare a concise pitch outlining the story you’re offering them. If you have statistics and hard facts, give them a taster to get them interested. Quickly make them see why you’re pitching this particular story to them.
DO offer supporting information
If you have additional statistics, information, graphics or images available, make sure journalists are aware you can offer them, or, even better, provide a link where they can see them all in one place. A dedicated landing page on your client’s website is often a good way to do this.
DO be timely
Pitch stories that are current and on trend and if they’re time sensitive, make sure you cease pitching when that date has passed.
DON’T send generic pitches
As mentioned above, make sure to tailor the pitch to the journalist and publication you’re reaching out to.
DON’T spam journalists
Sending the same pitch repeatedly, hoping it will land, simply won’t work. Instead, revise your pitch, change the headline, and rewrite parts of your press release if necessary. If, after all those adjustments, you’re still not getting results, it may be time to target new journalists.
DON’T overpromise
Exaggerating the story and promising information that isn’t available will leave you struggling if the journalist comes back to you requesting more.
DON’T attach files
These will slow down the process. It’s much easier to send a link to relevant information, either on a dedicated resource page, or a Google Drive link. WeTransfer is another option.
Responding to journalists
If a journalist responds to your pitch, make sure to acknowledge their request for more information, comments, or images, and meet their deadline. Journalists often work under tight time constraints, and it’s not uncommon for them to ask for additional resources with little notice.
Always respect their deadlines. If you’re unable to meet them, be transparent and let the journalist know. Honesty and timely delivery will build trust, putting you in a good position for future opportunities with that journalist.
Key takeaways
- Identify the right journalists to pitch stories to. Media databases will help you find the right contacts but supplement with desk research to find new contacts and check the topics journalists are writing about.
- Build and nurture relationships. Only send relevant content with any additional information of images the journalist may require.
- Ensure editorial is right for the publication. Press releases and pitches need to align with a publications audience and tone and editorial should educate, inform and add value.
- Make your pitch stand out. You can do this by personalising emails, being concise and providing useful support information.
Need more help finding and contacting journalists in your niche? Please get in touch.
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