The Do’s and Don’ts of Winning Over a Journalist from Cision’s 2024 State of the Media Report

Pitching news and story ideas to journalists is like trying to make a new friend. You need to cultivate the relationship, which requires a good deal of effort, while considering the other party’s needs (and trying not to focus too much on yours).

But when interacting with media members, how can you grab their attention? And how do you do that without soliciting indifference, silence, or worse … getting blocked?

In its 2024 State of the Media Report, Cision surveyed more than 3,000 journalists to learn how they like to interact with PR professionals and what works when building relationships. Here are some top takeaways on how to engage with media from the report:

• DO: Deliver unique data | Data is incredibly valuable in news reporting and useful in helping journalists craft stories. Cision’s 2024 State of the Media survey showed that unique data ranked second among the types of content that journalists want most from PR professionals (after press releases). Give the people what they want and provide journalists with any original data or research you can share.

• DON’T: Ignore media inquiries | If a journalist has a question, they don’t want to be dodged, “ghosted” or ignored. In fact, 41% of journalists said they would refuse to work with PR professionals who demonstrate a lack of transparency. Although the nature of PR sometimes limits what we can provide to the media, PR professionals must be transparent about the information we can and cannot share. Be polite, upfront, and direct about how you’re able to respond to a media inquiry, which will demonstrate that you’re doing your part to work with a journalist, not against them.

• DO: Personalize your pitches | If you want to land a pitch, you must know 1) who you’re pitching and 2) the readership they serve. Cision’s survey showed that “understanding what a journalist’s target audience finds relevant” is the top thing PR professionals can do to make a reporter’s job easier. Customize each message and pitch for the specific journalist you’re contacting. Before you add a journalist to your target list, ask yourself: Is this news relevant to them and their readers? If the answer isn’t a resounding yes, it’s best to move on.

• DON’T: Spam your media contacts | Conversely, don’t adopt the “spray and pray” approach to media pitching. This can be an easy way to send irrelevant pitches to journalists and end up on their “do not call” list. Being spammed is the top complaint among media about PR interactions, with 77% saying they would block a PR professional who spams them with irrelevant pitches.

• DO: Expand a journalist’s network | Journalists always seek subject matter experts (SMEs) to tap as news sources or to generate story ideas. They need spokespeople who can speak on the record about the topics they cover. If you have a client that works in an industry a journalist covers, offer to make that connection and grow their network. You’ll not only provide an expert source for the journalist; you will also position your client as a trusted industry voice.

• DON’T: Pitch them ads | There is a fine line between marketing and news, and journalists are not looking for a brochure. Yes, we are pitching our client’s news, but we are not selling anything. PR professionals must make the news connection fast to journalists in media pitching.

• DO: Respect deadlines | Time is a resource, as journalists often work on tight deadlines while juggling multiple stories. It’s critical for anyone working with a journalist to be mindful of their deadlines. Build in lead time when pitching news stories, which may help your chances of securing coverage, and respond to media inquiries in a timely manner. Failing to do so is an easy way to lose the relationship.

• DON’T: Follow up endlessly | PR professionals know that media pitching can be like dating. You follow up, but sometimes a journalist is just not that into your news. If you don’t receive a response after your first follow-up, move on to a new pitch angle or offer the news to another journalist. 48% of journalists say following up repeatedly beyond this will lead to a PR professional getting blocked.

• DO: Be fresh and creative | The best way to stand out to a journalist is to offer them something they can’t find elsewhere. 46% of journalists want PR professionals to bring new and relevant story ideas to their inbox. Do what you can to deliver a fresh spin on news that will make it resonate and sing with a reporter’s readers.

• DON’T: Give bad information | This should go without saying, but always bears repeating: Bad or unreliable information is a death knell for PR pros. Journalists turn to their sources for credible and reliable information. Combatting accusations of “fake news” is a top industry challenge for media and maintaining credibility is everything. 62% of journalists will block PR professionals who offer information that’s inaccurate or unsourced.

Many factors go into winning over a journalist, but a recurring theme that Cision found in its 2024 State of the Media survey was “the need for relevant content.” PR professionals must put in the work to deliver this in their pitches, press releases, data, and SME connections. Keeping relevance top of mind along with journalist preferences can help you strengthen your media relationships and win the favor you seek.

Need help with taking your media interactions to the next level? Let’s chat.